SAN DIEGO – Point Loma's first match of the 2021 season was a defensive battle in which a goal in the 52^nd minute for Cal State Dominguez Hills made the difference, giving the Toros a 1-0 victory at the PLNU Soccer Field on Thursday.
 
The long-awaited return to collegiate soccer played in the fall didn't have the outcome the Sea Lions were looking for in a narrow defeat. Point Loma had two shots on goal, but couldn't convert in the season opener.
 
"Obviously, we are disappointed with the result, but in the big picture, it's fun to play a match in the fall," head coach Phil Wolf said after the match. "I'm excited for the guys. It wasn't a bad performance by any means. The guys played well. There was just that 15-minute stretch at the start where we weren't ourselves, and we let them get the momentum."
 
Neither team got on the board in the first half, but the Toros created more scoring opportunities in the opening frame of the competition. The defense, led by Seth Ketterer in goal, held off Cal State Dominguez Hills to keep the score tied.
 
The Toros continued to create opportunities in the second half, forcing Ketterer to come up with another save in the 50^th minute. The next scoring opportunity wasn't wasted by Cal State Dominguez Hills with Roberto Rivera scoring the first goal of the season from just inside the top of the box on an assist by Josue Cartagena in the 52^nd minute to break the scoreless tie.
 
"They got some nice pieces," Wolf said. "Their pass-and-move was an area of the game that they did well. The real difference is they found a way to tuck one in, and we didn't find a way."
 
Point Loma's best chance to score in the first half came from a shot from outside the box by Parker Scalzo that was saved. The Sea Lions continued to push forward throughout the match to try to find the equalizer. A second shot on goal was taken by Corey Lundeen in the 76th minute from well inside the box, but right at the keeper.
 
Anderson Teague took a team-high two shots, including the first shot of the match, shooting from inside the box, but missed high and to the left. The Toros outshot the Sea Lions 12-5 with four shots on goal compared to two for the home team. Point Loma created more corner kicks, 4-1, but didn't create any shots in those four corner kicks.
 
"We'll look at a few things and talk about a few things, and then we will get back to competing against one of the top teams," Wolf said.
 
On Saturday, Point Loma will go to Cal Poly Pomona for the second match of the season. The match will be open to fans, who go through a screening process on the day of the match. Full details of Cal Poly Pomona's spectator attendance restrictions can be found here. Both Point Loma and Cal Poly Pomona were picked second in their conferences' respective preseason polls.