HAYWARD-  In the 31st edition of a NorCal rivalry, a second half goal by hosts Cal State East Bay was enough to give the Division II school a 1-0 win over UC Santa Cruz Thursday evening.
UC Santa Cruz drops to 0-2-2 on the young season.
The Banana Slugs held off East Bay's early shot advantage to keep it scoreless at halftime. However, East Bay's Peter Hawken slotted home a shot in the 75th minute to give the Pioneers the lead and eventual winning goal.
UC Santa Cruz then put on the pressure looking for an equalizer. Adrian Jacobs almost answered in the 77th minute, but his shot to the top was pushed away by the East Bay goalie for a corner kick. Rory Monninger and Tanner Boyea both had shots in the last eight minutes saved as the Pioneers ran out the clock to escape with the win.
Cal State East Bay outshot the visiting Banana Slugs 18-8 in the game, but the shots were an even 6-6 as the Banana Slugs improved their possession in the second half.
The Banana Slugs regroup as they travel to Oregon for two games this weekend, starting with George Fox on Sunday night.