Toreros settle for draw

USD soccer and UCSB finish in a 2-2 tie after a hard-fought double-overtime match 

Maria Watters / Assistant Sports Editor / The USD Vista

Torero Stadium was electrified as the No. 25 University of San Diego and UC Santa Barbara (UCSB) tied 2-2 after a grueling 110 minute, double-overtime battle. 

Tuesday night’s game had the makings of an all-out war between two titans in men’s college soccer, with the UCSB Gauchos (6-2-1) coming off of a huge 3-3 tie against No. 1 Stanford Saturday night to top off their six-game unbeaten streak, while the Toreros sought to add a third to their two-game winning streak. As the Gauchos have scored 17 goals while also averaging 14.6 shots on goal per game this season, redshirt- sophomore goalkeeper Matt Wiher and the Torero defense would be facing one of its greatest challenges yet. 

USD men’s soccer head coach Brian Quinn and his team knew they would be facing a tough opponent.

“They had a great result against the number one team in the country, Stanford, the other night, so we knew that they’re a top-20 team,” Quinn said. “So for us it was going to be a gauge to see where we’re at.”

Drawing a respectable crowd for a Tuesday night, fans were settling in to witness one of the most exciting contests of the season, and the Gauchos started with possession. It was clear that this would be a physical challenge, with three fouls awarded in the first 10 minutes of play. Though the Toreros seemed to gain possession early, UCSB earned the first big scoring opportunity of the night, with the shot from senior forward Will Baynham in the 16th minute. But a huge save by Wiher kept the Toreros from facing an early 0-1 deficit. 

Wiher wasn’t fazed by the intimidating UCSB offense.

“When there are a lot of shots, it helps you stay focused,” Wiher said. “Actually, it’s when there aren’t many shots (that) you kind of zone out.”

 The Toreros answered with a strong counterattack, with shots by USD junior defender Aidan Marion in the 18th minute, and senior forward Miguel Berry in the 19th. The attempts were saved by the Gaucho sophomore goalkeeper Ben Roach. 

Both teams exchanged shots and fouls, with UCSB sophomore defender Ryan Johnson earning the first yellow card of the game. The Toreros seemed to be controlling the game, keeping possession for a majority of the next twenty minutes, but failed to break through the formidable Gaucho defense. UCSB took advantage, firing shot after shot until the 39th minute when junior forward Ameyawu Muntari launched a rocketing, left-footed shot from over 20 yards out into the upper corner of the goal. The Gauchos were up 1-0 with six minutes left in the half, and though the Toreros made a strong effort to tie up the score before the break, the half ended with a failed USD free kick in the 45th minute.

UC Santa Barbara outshot USD seven shots to four, and had a goal to show for it. If the Toreros were going to get back into the game, they would have to come up with an answer for the dangerous Gaucho offense. 

 As a vocal leader on the field, senior defender Henry Lander had to regroup his team in order to overcome the one-goal deficit.

“We were playing well up until the goal, and we played well after it,” Lander said. “I think just carrying on the way we’ve been playing and trusting ourselves that we know we can get back in the game.”

The Toreros came out of halftime with a vengeance, absolutely dominating the early minutes of the second half. Before UC Santa Barbara could adjust to the Toreros’ new, more aggressive strategy, USD junior midfielder Ross Meldrum rebounded the second shot on goal by Marmion, who shot and scored in the 49th minute. The game was tied, 1-1, the momentum was shifting, and USD did not plan on taking its foot off the gas. Not 10 minutes after their first goal was scored, the second shot on goal by Berry was deflected to senior midfielder Freddy Polzer, who drilled the ball into the bottom left corner of the goal in the 54th minute. 

The Toreros took a 2-1 lead after being down 0-1 at the half. Now the pressure was on the Gauchos to come up with an answer. 

Their response came early in the 69th minute when junior forward Rodney Michael made a run up the right side of the field and fired a right-footed, near-post shot into the back of the Torero goal, leveling the score at 2-2. 

Neither team could take control with 20 minutes left in regulation. The Toreros and the Gauchos exchanged shots and counterattacks with Berry closing out the half, missing high in the 89th minute. 

This game was going to overtime. 90 minutes wasn’t enough to crown a winner, so both teams geared up for the first 10-minute round of sudden death. The tension was palpable, and, despite the cold, the dedicated fans that remained were determined to stick it out until the end. No one dared to miss a moment as the crowd gave their teams all the support they could muster. 

The first period of overtime was nothing short of a battle. Both teams traded shots and fouls. Every moment was followed by gasps, boos, sighs, and cheers from the stands. Fans were on their feet as the intensity on the field increased. And though the score remained the same after 10 minutes, neither team appeared willing to settle for a tie.  

If the first period was a battle, the second was a war. The Toreros and the Gauchos desperately tried to score the goal that would win them the game. All it would take was one. But the determined defenses and incredible goaltending by Roach and Wiher kept either offense from breaking the 2-2 tie, as the game ended by the same score.

“It wasn’t what we (were) looking for but it’s not disastrous,” Lander said. “I think we can be happy with the way we played tonight, (and), overall, I thought we were the better team.”

After the game, the Toreros were already looking ahead to their next challenge as they prepared to take on the 6-2-1 West Virginia Mountaineers on Oct. 4 on the road. They entered the game wanting to make a statement.

“If we win that game in West Virginia,” Quinn said after the tie. “Then I think the rest of the country will realize how good of a team we are.”

USD traveled 2,000 miles to tackle their biggest challenge yet, and put on a dominating performance over West Virginia. With a 4-1 victory over the 23rd-ranked team in the nation, and scoring three goals in just the first half, the Toreros certainly made a statement.

Catch the No. 23 Toreros at home this Saturday, Oct. 12  against the University of San Fransisco as USD opens up WCC play. The game starts at 7 p.m. at Torero Stadium.

Picture: SoccerBW.jpg