Friday, September 13
Fullerton, CA
8:00 PM MT
Air Force Academy
at
Cal State Fullerton
Men's Soccer Takes on No. 23 Cal State Fullerton, UC Riverside this weekend
9/12/2019 11:23:00 AM | Men's Soccer
Weekly ReleaseWatch Live: Air Force at #23 Cal State FullertonLive Stats: Air Force at #23 Cal State FullertonListen Live: Air Force at #23 Cal State FullertonLive Stats: Air Force at UC Riverside
Air Force men's soccer returns to California to close out a five-match road stint
THIS WEEKEND: Air Force returns to the Golden State for another pair of matches to close out the five-match road stint. The Falcons will take on No. 23 Cal State Fullerton, Friday (Sept. 13) at 7 PM PT, in Fullerton, California. On Sunday (Sept. 15) Air Force will face off against UC Riverside at 11 AM PT. The match against Riverside will serve as the Highlanders' Military Appreciation Day.
THE SERIES: Air Force and Fullerton will be meeting for the 10th time in program history with the nine-game series tied at 4-4-1. The Falcons are 2-3-1 when playing the Titans in California. The last time Air Force beat Fullerton was in 1997 at the Academy.
The Falcons will take on UC Riverside in the fourth all-time meeting on Sunday. Air Force leads the three-game series, 2-1, winning the most recent meeting 2-1 (OT), in 2016. The Falcons have not beat UC Riverside in California.
UP NEXT: Air Force hosts its first home game of the 2019 campaign as Nebraska-Omaha comes to the Academy. The Falcons and Omaha will kick off at 6 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 21, for Air Force's only match the week.
LAST TIME THEY PLAYED:
Air Force at Cal State Fullerton, Sept. 21, 2012
Cal State Fullerton's Anthony Rosales and Jesse Escalante each found the back of the net and the Titans' defense teamed up for its first shutout of the season in a 2-0 victory over Air Force at Titan Stadium.
Air Force had the first two solid chances of the match as Kevin Durr's rocket from the top of the box off a pass from Zane Dydasco clanged off the left post in the sixth minute and Dydasco's chance in the 14th minute off a turnover scooted just wide.
With time running down in the first half, Rosales who put Fullerton on the board first, converting on a header off a corner from Mario Alvarez for the 1-0 lead with just eight seconds remaining in the half. Escalante added an insurance goal in the 78th minute, blasting home a rebound of a shot by Julian Okai over an outstretched Matt Underwood in net for the 2-0 lead.
Fullerton outshot Air Force, 19-11, for the match, putting seven on frame. Mark Vasquez and Ian Ramos, who had an attempt smothered from close-in to start the second half, each had three shots to pace the Titans while Dydasco finished with four shots to pace the Falcons.
UC Riverside at Air Force, Sept. 11, 2016
Senior defender AJ Esparza found an opening on the goalkeeper deflection to lift the Falcons to a 2-1 overtime victory over UC Riverside, at Cadet Soccer Stadium, USAFA.
In the 48th minute the Highlanders' Ricardo Ruiz returned a goalkeeper deflection into the net for the first goal of the game. The Falcons battled back; in the 64th minute Ryan Ward sent the ball across the box to be met with Klint Parker's header from five yards out.
After several shot attempts and a denied UC Riverside penalty kick the teams ended regulation play knotted at one. Air Force out shot UC Riverside 11 shots to the Highlanders' six in regulation. Junior goalkeeper John Wendt logged two saves.
The Falcons went on the offensive in overtime as they controlled possession of the ball for the entirety of the period. In the 92nd minute Esparza found his chance to end the game with a shot into the lower left corner of the goal off the goalkeeper's deflection.
Parker and Esparza led the team in shots on goal with two apiece.
OFF THE MAP: Following two losses over the weekend, Air Force has dropped out of all national polls. In week two, Air Force was in the top 25 in two of three national polls released by press time. The Falcons were ranked 23rd in the Top Drawer Soccer Top 25 and 25th in the United Soccer Coaches Top 25, while also receiving votes in the College Soccer News Top 30.
LAST WEEKEND: Air Force had a tough weekend in California, dropping a pair of two-nil matches to Sacramento State and UC Davis on Friday and Sunday, respectively. The last time the Falcons went scoreless for an entire weekend was in 2014.
THE SERIES: Air Force and Fullerton will be meeting for the 10th time in program history with the nine-game series tied at 4-4-1. The Falcons are 2-3-1 when playing the Titans in California. The last time Air Force beat Fullerton was in 1997 at the Academy.
The Falcons will take on UC Riverside in the fourth all-time meeting on Sunday. Air Force leads the three-game series, 2-1, winning the most recent meeting 2-1 (OT), in 2016. The Falcons have not beat UC Riverside in California.
UP NEXT: Air Force hosts its first home game of the 2019 campaign as Nebraska-Omaha comes to the Academy. The Falcons and Omaha will kick off at 6 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 21, for Air Force's only match the week.
LAST TIME THEY PLAYED:
Air Force at Cal State Fullerton, Sept. 21, 2012
Cal State Fullerton's Anthony Rosales and Jesse Escalante each found the back of the net and the Titans' defense teamed up for its first shutout of the season in a 2-0 victory over Air Force at Titan Stadium.
Air Force had the first two solid chances of the match as Kevin Durr's rocket from the top of the box off a pass from Zane Dydasco clanged off the left post in the sixth minute and Dydasco's chance in the 14th minute off a turnover scooted just wide.
With time running down in the first half, Rosales who put Fullerton on the board first, converting on a header off a corner from Mario Alvarez for the 1-0 lead with just eight seconds remaining in the half. Escalante added an insurance goal in the 78th minute, blasting home a rebound of a shot by Julian Okai over an outstretched Matt Underwood in net for the 2-0 lead.
Fullerton outshot Air Force, 19-11, for the match, putting seven on frame. Mark Vasquez and Ian Ramos, who had an attempt smothered from close-in to start the second half, each had three shots to pace the Titans while Dydasco finished with four shots to pace the Falcons.
UC Riverside at Air Force, Sept. 11, 2016
Senior defender AJ Esparza found an opening on the goalkeeper deflection to lift the Falcons to a 2-1 overtime victory over UC Riverside, at Cadet Soccer Stadium, USAFA.
In the 48th minute the Highlanders' Ricardo Ruiz returned a goalkeeper deflection into the net for the first goal of the game. The Falcons battled back; in the 64th minute Ryan Ward sent the ball across the box to be met with Klint Parker's header from five yards out.
After several shot attempts and a denied UC Riverside penalty kick the teams ended regulation play knotted at one. Air Force out shot UC Riverside 11 shots to the Highlanders' six in regulation. Junior goalkeeper John Wendt logged two saves.
The Falcons went on the offensive in overtime as they controlled possession of the ball for the entirety of the period. In the 92nd minute Esparza found his chance to end the game with a shot into the lower left corner of the goal off the goalkeeper's deflection.
Parker and Esparza led the team in shots on goal with two apiece.
OFF THE MAP: Following two losses over the weekend, Air Force has dropped out of all national polls. In week two, Air Force was in the top 25 in two of three national polls released by press time. The Falcons were ranked 23rd in the Top Drawer Soccer Top 25 and 25th in the United Soccer Coaches Top 25, while also receiving votes in the College Soccer News Top 30.
LAST WEEKEND: Air Force had a tough weekend in California, dropping a pair of two-nil matches to Sacramento State and UC Davis on Friday and Sunday, respectively. The last time the Falcons went scoreless for an entire weekend was in 2014.
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