LIVERMORE, Calif. – Cal State East Bay men's soccer delivered a statement performance Friday afternoon, overwhelming Cal Poly Humboldt in a 6–1 victory at Las Positas College Soccer Field. The Pioneers' offensive outburst featured six different goal scorers to run their unbeaten streak to four straight matches and improved to 3-3-3 overall and 1-0-2 in CCAA play.
East Bay wasted no time setting the tone, pressing high and controlling possession early. In the 16th minute, Jonas Banouas opened the scoring off a perfect pass in front of the net from Alejandro Zarate, giving the Pioneers a 1–0 lead. The home side doubled the advantage in the 36th minute when Julian Valle fired home a shot from the top of the box for his second goal of the season.
The Pioneers came out even stronger after halftime, pouring in four goals in a 25-minute span to put the match away. Zarate made it 3–0 in the 59th minute with a blast from 25 yards out for his team leading fourth goal of the season. Humboldt briefly pulled one back a minute later through Nathan Murff but East Bay responded immediately.
In the 61st minute, Eugenio Perez-Vera Merino buried a header from the back post off a service from Franco De Luna to restore the three-goal cushion. Just over a minute later, Andres Garcia-Diaz added his first collegiate goal on an assist from Zarate, stretching the lead to 5–1. Oliver Gonzalez capped the scoring in the 82nd minute, knocking home a shot from the top off the box on a pass from Noel Cabrales to complete the 6–1 rout.
The six goals is the most in a match for the Pioneers since 2015 as they totaled 26 shots, nine on goal, while limiting Humboldt to just seven attempts. Julian Escobar earned the win in net, making one save in a composed 90-minute effort. Zarate paced East Bay's attack with a goal and two assists, while five other Pioneers joined him on the scoresheet.
The victory marked East Bay's largest margin of victory since joining the CCAA and the Pioneers will look to continue their strong play on Sunday when they travel south to take on Cal State San Marcos.
Latest Men's Soccer
- Pioneers Battle to Road Draw with Cal Poly PomonaPOMONA, Calif. - Cal State East Bay earned a hard-fought 1-1 draw against Cal Poly Pomona on Sunday afternoon, extending the Pioneers' unbeaten streak to four matches in CCAA play. Despite being outshot 20-3, East Bay made the most of its chances, scoring early and holding firm defensively down the stretch to secure the road point. The Pioneers moved to 5-4-5 overall and 3-1-4 in CCAA play.
- Pioneers Battle to Scoreless Draw with Cal State San BernardinoSAN BERNARDINO, Calif. — The Cal State East Bay men's soccer team battled Cal State San Bernardino to a 0–0 draw on Friday afternoon, earning a hard-fought point on the road in a match defined by the defense. With the result, the Pioneers move to 5-4-4 overall and 3-1-3 in CCAA play.
- Zarate Named CCAA Men’s Offensive Athlete of the WeekAlejandro Zarate has been named this week's CCAA Men's Soccer Athlete of the Week after he secured the Pioneers to two crucial conference victories.
- Zarate Nets Another Brace as Pioneers Defeat Cal State Monterey BayHAYWARD, Calif. — Alejandro capped off a career week with his second straight brace to lift the Cal State men's soccer team to a 2-1 victory over Cal State Monterey Bay. The win marked the Pioneers third win in their last four CCAA matches and positions them alone in third place with a 3-1-2 record.
- Zarate’s Brace Helps Pioneers Knock Off No. 15 Cal State LAALAMEDA, Calif. —Alejandro Zarate scored a pair of goals, including the game-winner as the Cal State East Bay men's soccer team earned a statement 3–2 victory over No. 15 Cal State LA. The victory was the first in program history over the Golden Eagles and improved the Pioneers to 4-4-3 overall and 2-1-2 in CCAA play.
- Pioneers Furious Comeback Falls Just Short at Cal State San MarcosSAN MARCOS, Calif. — Cal State East Bay men's soccer mounted an inspired second-half comeback on the road but fell just short in a 5–3 loss to Cal State San Marcos. The Pioneers found themselves trailing 4–0 before storming back with three goals in a four-minute span to pull within striking distance. The Cougars then netted a late insurance goal to preserve the win and move EB to 3-4-3 overall and 1-1-2 in CCAA play.
