Toreros outlast Rebels in overtime

USD prevails in 100th minute for an overtime victory over UNLV

Eric Boose/Contributor/The USD Vista

First-year forward and San Diego native Alex Churness scored his first career goal for USD deep into overtime to lead the Torero men’s soccer team to victory against the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) Rebels 1-0 on Sunday night. The victory was USD’s third this season, and their first in four overtime games.

Churness missed two good chances to score only minutes earlier in the game. With under a minute left in regulation, Churness headed the ball just wide of the goal. Three minutes into overtime, Churness found himself face-to-face with UNLV goalkeeper Enrique Adame, but kicked the ball right into Adame’s midsection.

“I knew I was going to get another solid chance,” Churness said about his goal. With only 41 seconds remaining in the first sudden-death overtime period, USD defender Patrick Krall crossed the ball into the penalty area. Krall’s cross flew past third-year forward Miguel Berry, but found Churness waiting at the penalty spot.

“I was waiting for the opportunity, saw the ball come in, and hit it back in the net,” Churness said.

USD started the match well, and the Toreros were on the front foot for much of the first 30 minutes. Thanks to early pressure on the UNLV defense, Berry and fellow forward Allen Luhrs both had chances to score, only to be turned away by last-minute blocks from the Rebels. Solid midfield play earned most of USD’s scoring chances in the first half, with Luhrs and second-years Ross Meldrum and Paul Ramlow consistently earning and maintaining possession. Berry had one more good chance to put USD ahead in the first half, but Adame denied Berry in a one-on-one situation.

Despite losing the midfield battle, UNLV earned some early scoring chances on breakaways, with forwards Marco Gonzalez and John Lynam tormenting defenders throughout the match. Gonzalez fired a shot from long range that went just wide in the 16th minute of the match, and Lynam forced a close-range save from USD goalkeeper Connor Hountalas in the 30th.

The match became more balanced after the 30th minute, when USD defender Aidan Marmion limped off the field with an apparent knee injury. UNLV had the best chance to score before halftime ten minutes after Marmion’s injury. The referee awarded the Rebels a free kick 20 yards away from goal, and Hountalas made a terrific diving save, tipping the shot onto the crossbar.

The second half began much like the first half ended, with both teams trading scoring chances. First-year Cameron Kaemerle had a good chance for the Toreros, dribbling past three UNLV defenders before his shot was blocked. The Rebels’ best chance came from Jesus Partida, whose shot from distance forced Hountalas to make a fingertip save. Partida’s shot was one of the last quality chances in the match, as both teams began to fall victim to fatigue. USD had played 100 minutes of soccer three days earlier, and UNLV was coming in two days after a 3-2 win at UC Riverside.

USD men’s soccer head Coach Brian Quinn, in his first year at the helm after 12 years as an assistant, was not surprised by tiring players.

“We knew it was always a game that was going to be decided by a good play, or a mistake,” Quinn said. “As the game went on guys were getting tired, misplaced passes, some little mistakes here and there.”

In overtime, the Toreros seemed to control the game. In the 93rd minute, Churness spun past a defender, only for Adame to deny the first-year forward. With 41 seconds remaining in the first sudden-death overtime period, Krall dribbled the ball down the far sideline before crossing the ball into the box. Krall’s cross missed Berry at the near post, but Churness beat his defender to the ball in the air and headed it into the back of the net for his first goal as a Torero. “The goal was a quality goal, so I was pleased with that,” said Quinn.

Churness’s goal was only the sixth the Toreros have scored all season, each scored by a different player. According to Quinn, the team can do better.

“What we’re trying to do is deliver the ball earlier into the box, and encouraging people to continually make the runs whether you get there or not,” Quinn said. “Just have the confidence to expect to be on the end of a cross, take shots from outside the box, and I think we’ve got enough good players that the goals will come.”

USD’s next home game is versus CSUN on Sept. 23. at  6 p.m.