CALIFORNIA (Aug. 25) – The California (PA) men's soccer team suffered a 3-0 season-opening loss to West Virginia Wesleyan in non-conference play on Thursday night at the Phillipsburg Soccer Facility.

The Vulcans open the fall with a 0-1 mark after playing the Bobcats for the seventh-consecutive year in the season-opener. Meanwhile, WVWC starts the campaign with a 1-0 record under first-year head coach Josh Spencer following the passing of longtime mentor Gavin Donaldson in March.

Cal recorded the first shot of the contest in the 11th minute when junior Tyler Sims (Frederick, Md./Tuscarora) placed an attempt on target. The Bobcats took a 1-0 lead at the 17:31-mark on an unassisted goal by Sam Newell, who beat a diving goalie to the top right corner. WVWC added to the lead in the closing seconds of the first half when Newell found Jaime Razo, 2-0.

The Bobcats claimed a 3-0 lead in the 63rd minute when Sinasi Emre Deniz beat a pair of defenders and a diving goalie. The teams were issued a staggering 10 yellow cards in the second half, including six in less than a 10-minute span.

Freshman AJ Visco (Irwin, Pa./Penn-Trafford) and junior transfer Payton Smith (Columbus, Ohio/Lincoln) split time in net on Thursday with each playing 45 minutes in the season-opener.

WVWC finished with a 4-1 edge in shots and tallied a 9-1 advantage in corner kicks.

The Vulcans return to action on Sunday, Aug. 28, when they travel to face Lock Haven in non-conference play at 4 p.m.