SEATTLE – Seattle University men's soccer beat Cal State Fullerton, 1-0, Thursday night. Declan McGlynn scored and Akili Kasim earned a shutout in the season opener at Championship Field.
Jesse Ortiz and McGlynn looked to capitalize on early chances, but the Fullerton goalkeeper was there to turn away the tries. The teams each found success in the midfield from there, but the defenses held up when challenged in the final third.
McGlynn got the Redhawks rolling quickly in the second half. He put together a tremendous individual effort to save a ball from the sideline and then earned a foul from 20 yards out in the 58th minute. The junior's right-footed shot curled in perfectly to the upper left-hand corner of the net for the first goal of the season.
The visitors looked to level the action a few minutes later, but Akili Kasim turned away a low line drive to keep the Titans scoreless.
The intensity cranked up as the clock wound down, with each team picking up yellow cards down the stretch. The Redhawks looked for an insurance goal and nearly found one, but the Titans were up to that task. In the end, SU claimed a shutout in the first match of the season.
Kasim finished with two saves for the shutout. Seattle U held a 16-6 advantage in shots on the night.
The Redhawks return to action on Saturday, as they host UC Davis. Kickoff is slated for 7 p.m. at Championship Field.