Titans Beat Saint Mary's, Win California Invitational :: Gibbens Named Tournament MVP; Peschken, Dewey Named to All-Tournament Team

Aug. 31, 2008

BERKELEY, CA - Freshman Stacey Fox and senior Tiffany Craig each scored goals while three Titan players were named to the all-tournament team as Cal State Fullerton defeated Saint Mary's, 2-0, to claim the championship of the 14th-annual California Invitational on Sunday afternoon in Berkeley, Calif.

The Titans improved to 3-0 overall on the season - the program's best start since the 2003 squad also began the year with the same mark - and won at least a share of the team tournament title for the second time in as many trips to the California Invitational.

The victory also moved Fullerton to within one win of its best start ever - a 4-0 record out of the gate to start the 1995 campaign en route to a 14-win season.

The Gaels suffered their first loss of the year, falling to 2-1 overall.

Three Titans were named to the all-tournament team: junior Erica Peschken, sophomore Tamara Dewey, and senior Jenae Gibbens, who was named the tournament Most Valuable Player.

Fox scored the first goal of her collegiate career in the 31st minute, taking a pass from Dewey and blasting a shot to the lower left corner from the top of the box to make it 1-0.

Until that goal, the Titans' last 10 goals had come in the second half dating back to a 3-0 win over Cal State Northridge on Oct. 21, 2007.

That turned out to be all the Titans would need, but Craig added an insurance goal in the 79th minute, dribbling in and scoring her second goal of the season for the 2-0 advantage.

Sophomore Shannon Simpson made two saves in net to log her second shutout of the year while the Fullerton offense outshot an opponent for the first time in 2008, taking 17 shots to the Gaels' 11.

Ten different Titans had shots on the afternoon, including three shots apiece by Peschken and Craig.

Cal State Fullerton returns to the pitch next weekend as the Titans play in front of the hometown fans for the first time in 2008. Fullerton hosts Alabama on Friday night (Sept. 5) at 7:30 p.m. before welcoming nationally ranked Santa Clara to Titan Stadium on Sunday (Sept. 7) for a 1 p.m. kick-off.