SAN DIEGO, Calif. --- The Pilots jumped out to a first-half lead with goals from Luke Hendel and Esteban Calvo, but the San Diego Toreros responded and rallied for a 4-2 win over Portland in a West Coast Conference men's soccer match played on Saturday night at Torero Stadium. San Diego scored three times in the second half to claim the victory.
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Hendel's goal came in the fifth minute, and it was set up by Rey Ortiz. Ortiz won possession near the halfway line, worked his way up field, and connected with Hendel just inside the top of the box. Hendel turned and planted a shot into the back of the net to hand the visiting side the 1-0 edge.
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Ortiz also assisted on Portland's second goal with a corner kick in the 22nd minute. Ortiz sent in a well-placed ball near the penalty spot, and that's where Calvo provided the finish with a powerful header to make it a 2-0 game. It's Calvo's first goal of the year, while Hendel claims his fifth on the year.
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The Toreros pulled one back later in the first half when Miguel Berry scored his first of two goals on the night. George West delivered the cross on a free kick, and Berry found the top right corner of the net with a stellar header.
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San Diego then equalized with an own-goal in the 62nd minute, and Henry Lander gave the Toreros the lead when he scored with a header in the 80th minute. Freddy Polzer whipped in the corner kick, and Lander collected his first goal of the year to give USD a 3-2 edge.
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Berry then pushed the San Diego advantage to two goals with his second of the game in the 85th minute. The well-struck shot came from distance, and it gave one of the top offensive players in the nation his 16th goal of the year.
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The loss snaps a four-game winning streak for the Pilots (9-6-1, 3-3-0 WCC), while it ends a four-game losing streak for San Diego (11-5-1, 2-4-0 WCC).
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The Pilots remain on the road next weekend when they conclude the regular season with a WCC match against the Saint Mary's Gaels on Saturday in Moraga, Calif.
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