Titans Stay Hot With Shutout of San Diego

September 22, 2011

Cal State Fullerton freshman Rebecca Wilson and junior Ann Marie Tangorra each found the back of the net Thursday night while sophomore goalkeeper Lindsey Maricicmade three saves in recording her third shutout of the year, lifting the Titans to a 2-0 victory over San Diego at Titan Stadium.

The victory extended Fullerton's (5-4-1 overall) winning streak to four-straight matches -- its longest since winning four-straight to open the 2008 season -- and ended a four-match losing streak in the all-time series with the Toreros in the process, winning for the first time at home against USD since 2004. San Diego evened its record at 5-5 with the loss, dropping its third consecutive contest.

Wilson's strike came late in the first half as she cleaned up a blocked shot by Tangorra in the box, punching it through traffic at the left post for the 1-0 lead in the 39th minute. For Wilson, it was her third goal of the year and her fourth consecutive match with a point dating back to her game-winning assist against Columbia on Sept. 11 at home.

It remained that way through the half before Tangorra, the reigning Big West Conference Player of the Week, quickly made it a 2-0 contest with just 42 seconds gone in the second half. Her team-best fourth of the season was of the unassisted variety, turning a defender in the box on the right side and lofting a shot into the upper left corner out of the reach of goalkeeper Annie Heaton for the two-goal advantage.

Following in the footsteps of her teammate, it was the third-straight match with a point for Tangorra, who led all players with five shots on the night, after scoring three times and notching an assist last weekend in New Mexico.

Senior Stephanie Ochs led the Toreros with four shots on the night and actually had the first chance for either team just six minutes in as she streaked down the left side and bent a ball from a tight angle that just caught the crossbar and bounced out. Tangorra then answered with a pair that were saved by goalkeeper Courtney Parsons midway through the period and sophomore Nikki McCants had another catch the outside of the left post minutes later.

Out of the break, the Toreros came out firing, taking five of the first six shots of the half and almost breaking up the shutout in the 61st minute as Brittany Held broke in off a corner on the left side and fired to the far post only to have Maricic get a hand on it and the defense clear the ball from harm. Ochs had another chance two minutes later, but that one was also gobbled up by Maricic as the Titans held firm despite increased pressure from the USD offense.

Nine different Fullerton players finished with shots on the night as the Titans outshot San Diego, 13-9, for the match.

Cal State Fullerton returns to action on Sunday (Sept. 25) as it plays host to UNLV at 1 p.m. at Titan Stadium.