FULLTERON — Cal State Fullerton freshman Janae Deas netted a pair of second-half goals and freshman goalkeeper Margaret Dupes recorded her first career shutout as the host Titans upset No. 23 UC Santa Barbara, 2-0, on Sunday night in front of 653 fans at Titan Stadium.
The loss drops the Gauchos record to 8-5 overall and 1-1 in league play. Fullerton improves to 6-6-1 overall and also 1-1 in the Big West.
Deas, who hadn’t scored since netting a goal against Alabama on Sept. 5, put the Titans on the scoreboard first in the 78th minute. Senior Jenae Gibbens starting the sequence with a throw-in from the right sideline that was flicked back by Claudia Munoz to Deas waiting on the left post. The freshman then poked home the goal from close in for the 1-0 lead.
Six minutes later, Deas added her second of the night in the 84th minute, taking a pass across the top of the box from Stacey Fox and firing to the left post for the 2-0 advantage.
Dupes, who finished with a career-high six saves, and the Fullerton defense then hunkered down for the final six minutes, as the rookie goalkeeper made two key saves and the Titans withstood four shots by the Gauchos in that stretch to secure the shutout.
It was Cal State Fullerton’s first shutout since a victory by the same score over Saint Mary’s on Aug. 31, and it was just the second shutout defeat that UCSB has suffered in 2008.
The teams battled to a scoreless tie after one half of play, but the Gauchos controlled the run of play in the opening 45 minutes, outshooting the Titans, 9-2, and generating the majority of scoring opportunities.
Genelle Ives, Kylie McDonald, and Kailyn Kugler each had scoring opportunities snuffed out by a charging Dupes off her line and Michelle Russell nearly bounced one in off the left post in the 41st minute, going one-on-one with the keeper and missing by inches.
