UC Riverside
Houston Baptist
Home Sweet Home For The Highlanders As They Pick Up 1-0 Win Over Houston Baptist
10/2/2008 2:30:00 PM | Men's Soccer
It took five weeks, but the home crowd finally got a chance to see the Highlanders men's soccer team in action on Thursday, and they didn't walk away disappointed as UCR picked up a 1-0 win over Houston Baptist at the UCR Soccer Stadium.
The Highlanders schedule kept them on the road for the first eight games of the season where they faced four ranks opponents on their way to a 2-5-1 start to the year. However, they were 2-1-1 over their last four games and looking to carry that momentum into their final non-conference game before the start of Big West competition.
The prospects of a tie loomed large during most of the match as the majority of the action came in the midfield. The team's combined for just six shots in the first half, three on each side of the ledger, with none finding the back of the net. UCR upped the offensive pressure after the break outshooting Houston Baptist 8-3 coming out of the locker room.
They finally broke through with 17:45 remaining in the contest when Scott Dailey (San Dimas, CA), slipped a shot, unassisted, past Huskies keeper Chris Dodd for the first goal of his career.
That was all the Highlanders needed as goalkeeper Ryan Schmitz (San Diego) and the rest of the UCR defense picked up their first shutout of the season in improving to 3-5-1.
Big West Conference play begins for the Highlanders on Sunday, October 5, on the road of course, at Cal State Northridge. Kick off is slated for 2:30 pm.
