Adimabua, Guzman Power Cal Past SDSU

BERKELEY – Nonso Adimabua scored his first goal as a Golden Bear and Adrian Guzman posted a goal and an assist to lead the Cal men's soccer team to a 2-0 win over San Diego State in the teams' Pac-12 opener on Thursday at Edwards Stadium.
 
Cal – which has won two straight including a 1-0 victory over California Baptist on Sept. 10 –
improved its record to 2-1-3 (1-0 in the Pac-12). SDSU fell to 2-4-1 (0-1 Pac-12).
 
"It's fantastic," Cal head coach Leonard Griffin said of Thursday's win. "It's exactly what you want heading into conference, starting on the right foot."
 
In the 36th minute, Guzman sent a bending cross into the box, and Adimabua, rushing into the SDSU six-yard box, tapped the ball inside the far post to give Cal a 1-0 lead.
 
"I'm super pumped for Nonso, who got an assist last game and got a goal this game," Griffin said. "Hopefully he'll continue to get sharper as the season wears on and puts more in the back of the net for us."
 
Guzman scored his first goal of the season in the 43rd minute, eluding two Aztecs at the top of the box and then looping a shot into the upper left corner of the net to give Cal its 2-0 lead.
 
"I tried dribbling in to create more offense for my teammates, and once I saw I could cut back, I just shot it, and it went in," Guzman said. "It was a great feeling to go up 2-0."
 
Cal outshot SDSU, 11-9, with Cal goalkeeper Collin Travasos making two saves and collecting his second straight shutout.
 
"The defense has been rock-solid along with Collin as well, winning their battles and putting out fires," Griffin said. "Hopefully we can keep doing that and we can continue to ride this two-game winning momentum going into Sunday."
 
Cal next battles UCLA in more Pac-12 action on Sunday, Sept. 18, at 4 p.m., in the second half of an Edwards Stadium doubleheader with Cal women's soccer, which hosts Penn at 1 p.m. on Sunday. The Pac-12 Networks will broadcast both games.