(SAN DIEGO) PLNU Men's Soccer once again controlled the majority of possession, this time against Cal State San Bernardino on Saturday at home, but once again fell on the wrong side of a 1-0 scoreline for its second-straight defeat by that margin to start the season.
 
"When you look at the two games over the weekend, there was very little between the teams but at the end of the day it's who can take a chance and who can't," Head Coach Phil Wolf said. "We're still a work in progress trying to figure out how to create chances in front of the goal. Overall, I think we're right there, it's just a matter of trying to figure out a way to get over the line."
 
Point Loma had perhaps its best chance to score in just the fifth minute, when Corey Lundeen's low-driven shot was spilled by the goalkeeper into the six-yard box, but no Sea Lions were able to get on the end of it.
 
PLNU outshot CSUSB 7-5 in the first half but Lundeen's effort was the only shot on target the Sea Lions were able to muster all game. Samuel Tuscano's effort in the 32nd minute was the next-closest, just missing the outside of the right post.
 
San Bernardino appeared to break the deadlock in the 35th minute, when PLNU goalkeeper Seth Ketterer saved a free kick and the follow-up was turned in, but the assistant referee raised his flag for offside.
 
After a scoreless first half, Point Loma drew multiple fouls in dangerous positions in the second period, but were unable to find the final delivery or shot to get past CSUSB's goalkeeper.
 
Ketterer kept the Sea Lions in the game, stopping a point-blank header and making a kick-save in a one-on-one situation late.
 
However, that second of two brilliant saves went out for a throw-in, which the visitors scored off of with under seven minutes remaining after a quick throw and a nifty dribble into the box.
 
The Sea Lions pressed forward, with London Lombana blocking a goalkeeper clearance that almost found Christopher Burgos Lara, but the ball just trickled past him before he could run at goal with it.
 
Lundeen shimmied past his defender out wide left but his delivery was snatched up at the near post by the goalkeeper.
 
Then with time winding down, Tuscano's volleyed effort bounced wide of the post, and CSUSB was able to run out the clock and pick up the road victory.
 
"For the amount of control we have in the game, we're just not generating many chances," Wolf said. "We have to figure out a way to translate control into chances created. But these are top teams we're trying to control. This is not the bottom half of Division II, this is the upper crest."
 
Point Loma (0-2 overall) now hits the road for four-straight matches, beginning with a difficult trip to Cal State Dominguez Hills next Saturday.
 
"I think we're close," Wolf said. "You're trying to prepare a team to play like we play in three weeks, which is very difficult. We need more time to train.
 
"Obviously taking two losses to open the season is very difficult to do when you look at the whole scope of the season, but at the end of the day we still have league ahead of us and something to think about in that way. We have to tie a few things together and hopefully create a couple goals."