They came from Holy Names University, but there was nothing venerable about how the Hawks beat SF State's men's soccer team today.

In a game that produced eight cautions, an ejection and 33 fouls, the visiting Hawks hacked and smack-talked their way to a 3-1 non-conference victory over the Gators at Cox Stadium, on the SF State campus Friday.

"We had too many problems," sophomore forward Dylan Glass said. "We were just too interested in arguments with the ref, arguments with (the opposition), and getting into little one-on-one battles rather than concentrate on the game. We really did not play as a team today."

Ultimately, though, it was the Gators' defensive shortcomings that proved the difference, said Gators coach Joe Hunter.

"We were slow to react," Hunter said. "I mean, the first 15 balls they played were just bang-up services and we didn't do what we needed to do."

Holy Names caused problems at the back from the get-go, having come armed with two quick forwards, Lloyd Grist and Mustafa Celik.

In the 20th minute Grist pounced on a through-pass from Celik, before speeding past defender Matt Pedersen and rounding goalkeeper Israel Cisneros for the first goal.

Celik went on to score the Hawks' third midway through the second half after collecting a long pass on the left, and placing his shot into the bottom right corner of the goal.

The Gators failed to take advantage of an extra player throughout the second half, after the referee ejected Henry Goh for time-wasting in the 41st minute.

The Hawks even added their second goal, a header by an unmarked Ricardo Vargas at the near post from Jamie Haynes' assist, seconds after going a man down.

Freshman Franco Cruz scored the Gators' consolation goal eight minutes from time when he glanced in a header from Robert Maeda's cross, while Cisneros produced a fine save late in the game to keep the score fair — the only real positives in an afternoon of ugly soccer.

"We did not play well today," Hunter said. "We don't have a team of all-Americans. We don't have a team that can just step on the field and show up, and when you don't show up, you're going to get your butt handed to you, bottom line."

Senior midfielder Shawn Granger said he wants to put today's team performance behind him and concentrate on Sunday's big conference game against CSU Monterey Bay (3-2-2 overall, 2-2-2 conference), who is just a single point below the Gators (6-5 overall, 3-3 conference) in the California Collegiate Athletic Association North Division.

"It's going to take a lot of effort (to beat CSUMB)," Granger said. "Monterey is a big team that we need to beat, and if we come out playing like we're capable of doing, then I think we can pull off a win."