Oct. 6, 2007
SAN DIEGO -
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Freshman Khadim Diouf knocked home sophomore Evan Toft's original shot in the 85th minute to give the San Diego State men's soccer team a 1-0 victory over No. 14 UCLA Saturday afternoon at SDSU Sports Deck. The Aztecs (5-2-2, 1-0-0 Pac-10), unbeaten in their last six matches, defeated the Bruins (4-5-1, 0-1-0 Pac-10) for the first time since Oct. 11, 1989, when they came away with a 3-2 overtime victory in San Diego.
San Diego State, which is ranked No. 36 in the latest Top Drawer Soccer poll, controlled the match, outshooting UCLA, 17-8, including an impressive 12-1 advantage in the second half. In fact, the Aztec defense, which has five shutouts in its last six games, held the Bruins without a shot attempt from the 38:45 mark of the first half until the 88:48 mark in the second half, a period of 50-plus minutes.
Diouf's second career goal was the culmination of many quality chances for SDSU. In the 27th minute, redshirt senior Kraig Chiles (San Diego/Poway HS) ripped a shot off a set piece that was saved by a diving UCLA goalkeeper Brian Perk. San Diego State had another chance to get on the board in the 40th minute when sophomore Steve Beitashour volleyed a shot from 10 yards out on the left side that Perk once again got to, keeping the match scoreless at halftime intermission.
The Aztecs stepped up their pressure even more in the second half with repeated scoring chances and a barrage of quality shot attempts. At the 52:15 mark, junior Omar Persad raced down the right sideline and sent a well-placed cross to Beitashour whose header from about eight yards away came within inches of finding the upper-left corner of the net. Beitashour continued to make his presence known in the 66th minute when his blast from inside the 18-yard box was knocked down by Perk. Less than two minutes later, Toft's left-footed shot from 22 yards out was deflected off a Bruin defender and just missed the left post.
SDSU's relentless offensive attack finally paid off in the 85th minute when Toft somehow found himself free inside the box and hit a low, hard shot that was deflected by a UCLA player. Diouf raced to the ball and calmly knocked in the game-winning goal at the 84:47 mark.
Chiles, Toft, Beitashour and sophomore Matt McManus each had three shots to lead the San Diego State offense, while Diouf contributed two shot attempts.
Redshirt freshman Brad Byrns, who was named the Pac-10 Player of the Week on Tuesday, made seven saves for his fifth shutout of the season. Byrns did a solid job of controlling his box and made many quality saves, including some point blank attempts. Byrns is now 5-1-2 on the season with a 0.58 goals against average. He has 29 saves and an 85.3 save percentage.
The San Diego State defense of juniors Myles Davis and Danny Ortiz, sophomores Nick Cardenas, McManus and late in the game, Jamel Wallace (San Diego/Oceanside HS), and freshman Raymundo Reza all played well, limiting the Bruins' high-powered offense to only a few real good scoring chances. The defense has allowed 44 shots over the six-game unbeaten streak, or just 7.3 attempts per match.
Following their annual alumni match tomorrow (Sunday) morning at 11 a.m., the Aztecs will play host to nationally ranked California on Friday (4 p.m.) and Stanford on Sunday (2 p.m.).
MEN OF THE MATCH: The entire team was named the Men of the Match for their outstanding performance in the 1-0 win. The Aztecs outshot the Bruins, 17-8, including a 12-1 advantage in the second half. It was the first win for SDSU over UCLA since 1989.