No. 3 Toros Run over Cal State L.A. 10-2 in Regular Season Men's Soccer Finale
Scott White's hat trick and career-high seven points lead Toros to lopsided CCAA victory
October 27, 2001

CARSON, Calif.-The No. 3 Toros bounced back from their first league loss this season on Wednesday night in Bakersfield, with a 10-2 drubbing of division rival Cal State LA. Scott White led the squad with three goals and 10 points as the Toros lambasted Cal State LA 10-2 in California Collegiate Athletic Association action at Toro Field.

The onslaught didn't start until the 16th minute when junior forward Scott White (Sonora HS) scored the first of his three goals. White took a cross inside the box at 16:32 from senior midfielder Sean Lockhart (Palm Springs HS) and hammered his shot to the back of the net for a 1-0 lead.

White tallied his second goal at 32:52 when he and junior Isidro Torres (Millikan HS) connected on a give-and-go from 15-yards away making it 2-0. Then at 36:07, Cal State LA's Juan Mendoza was ejected after pulling down forward Gabriel Valencia (Salesian HS) inside the penalty box. Lockhart converted the penalty kick giving the Toros a 3-0 lead.

Senior CSUDH defender Nathan Ballard (Sonora HS) made it 4-0 when he blasted a 25-yard shot from the left flank, freezing the Golden Eagle goalie Luis Mendoza at 43:42. But Cal State LA would get on the board with just :02 seconds remaining in the half. Jaime Beltran took a free kick from 20 yards out. His shot deflected off the defensive wall and caromed to the far post making it 4-1.

Freshman Rick Cobb (Warren HS) started the scoring in the second half for the Toros. At 58:57, Cobb received a cross inside the penalty box from Chris Wimmer (Fountain Valley HS) and slipped his shot under the diving Golden Eagle keeper. Four minutes later, Valencia scored on a breakaway. His initial shot from close range was deflected by the goalie. Valencia took the rebound and sent his shot to the back of the net for the score at 62:24 giving the Toros a 6-1 lead.

Lockhart made it 7-1 with his second goal of the game. He took a nice cross from the left flank and first-timed a drive past the goalie to the far post at 77:18. Cal State LA (5-13, 3-10 CCAA) made it 7-2 when Nikos Gutrugianios one-timed his shot to the near post off a short pass in front of the goal from Beltran at 78:43.

Cal State Dominguez Hills would score three more times in just over a one minute span. At 79:58, Victor Guerrero (Century HS) took a pass from White at the top of the box and sent his shot to the near post past a drawn out CSLA keeper. Then at 80:23, Eddie Gonzales-Pinto (N. Torrance HS) took a pass from Guerrero and beat the goalie one-on-one from 10-yards out making it 9-2. CSUDH would cap the scoring at 81:17 when Cobb flicked a ball to White who registered the "hat trick" with a chip shot over the drawn out goalkeeper.

Luis Morales (Banning HS) made three saves in the game to earn the win for the Toros. Cal State Dominguez Hills outshot the visitors 26-7 in the game. For CSUDH (15-2-1, 12-1-1 CCAA), it is the most goals scored since the 1983 season when they shutout Cal State Bakersfield 12-0.

Five seniors were honored in pregame ceremonies for playing in their final regular season home game today. The five players were: midfielder Sean Lockhart, defenders Nathan Ballard, Kyle Thornton and Joe Cartlidge and goalie Luis Morales.

The Toros now look to the CCAA Tournament next weekend at UC San Diego. CSUDH will enter the championship event as the #1 seed. The squad will play an undetermined opponent on Friday, Nov. 2 at 2 PM.