(from a Sierra Nevada release)

SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. - Sierra Nevada suffered its first loss of the season to MCLA D-I Cal Poly on Saturday. In a tough defensive battle, the No. 3 Mustangs edged the seventh-ranked Eagles, 6-4.

Long-stick midfielder Jack Witt opened the scoring for the Eagles with a transition goal early in the first quarter. Attackman Nic Zvirzin led SNC with two goals on the day.

With defenses and goalies playing very stingy, offensive opportunities were at a minimum for both teams all afternoon. SNC goalie Eddie Erickson notched 12 saves during the contest, while Cal Poly's Sean Pihl responded with nine saves of his own. Fortunately the Eagles were able to find the back of the net three times in the first two quarters, taking a 3-1 lead into halftime.

The third quarter proved to be a difficult one for SNC.

Cal Poly kept the pressure one, notching three goals and taking a one goal lead into the fourth quarter. Not long after the start of the final period, Eagle midfielder Cole Kennedy found midfielder Quinn Nicodemus on an inside feed to tie the score at fours.

The game would remain tied for most of the final quarter until Cal Poly went on a late two-goal run to secure the victory.

"First off, we'd like to thank Cal Poly for hosting us in beautiful San Luis Obispo," said Sierra Nevada coach Matt Blamey. "They are a well-oiled machine with a rich winning tradition. We knew we were going to have our hands full heading into the game. Overall I am proud of our performance, we just have to work on our decision making. Had we made a few different decisions on the field, I think the outcome could have been in our favor. We needed to be pushed to our limits before getting to the meat of our schedule. Facing a team of Cal Poly's caliber surely accomplished that goal."

Sierra Nevada will now head to Minnesota over spring break to face two traditional UMLC powerhouses. On Wednesday, March 15 at 7 p.m., SNC will faceoff against current top-ranked and defending national champion St. Thomas. Before returning to Tahoe, the Eagles will round out the trip against current No. 14 Minn.-Duluth. Faceoff against the Bulldogs is scheduled for Saturday, March 18 at 12:30 p.m.