IRVINE, Calif. – Cal State East Bay men's soccer battled to a hard-fought 1-1 draw on Sunday afternoon against Concordia Irvine. Both goals came early in the second half with the Pioneers equalizing to move to 2-3-1 on the season.
After a scoreless first half where the Eagles outshot the Pioneers 11-3, goalkeeper Julian Escobar kept East Bay in the match with a string of key stops. Escobar finished with six saves on the day, including four in the opening period.
The breakthrough came in the 52nd minute, when Concordia's Kevin Sanchez slotted home a finish off a quick build-up. Less than six minutes later the Pioneers responded as Alan Gutierrez found the equalizer on a cross. Julian Valle and Kiichi Murakami picked up assists on the goal.
East Bay nearly took the lead moments later, generating three shots and a corner in quick succession, but Concordia's defense held firm.
Defensively, Escobar's late saves in the 84th and 86th minutes preserved the result. Offensively the Pioneers tallied seven of their 10 total shots after halftime.
The tie rounded out non-conference for East Bay as they open CCAA play next Friday with a trip to Stanislaus State.
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