Sept. 18, 2009
SAN DIEGO -
The San Diego State men's soccer team stretched its unbeaten streak to three games with a 2-2, double-overtime tie against undefeated Wisconsin-Green Bay Friday afternoon at SDSU Sports Deck. Freshman Morgan Sacco (Greeley, Colo.) and junior Raymundo Reza (Denver, Colo.) each scored for the Aztecs (1-2-2), who played their third consecutive double-overtime match, the first time that has happened on The Mesa in almost eight years (Oct. 26-31, 2001).
SDSU struck first just 8 minutes, 29 seconds into the game when Sacco deflected senior Evan Toft's (Aurora, Colo.) original shot into the left side of the net for his first collegiate goal.
Sacco almost made it 2-0 in favor of San Diego State in the 21st minute when he got behind the Phoenix (4-0-2) defense but touched a low cross from the right side just off the far post.
Wisconsin-Green Bay, which came into the weekend on a four-game winning streak with victories by a combined 10-2 margin, answered in the 26th minute after a player was taken down inside the box by an Aztec defender. David Znaty then converted the penalty kick to tie the game at 1-1.
The lead wouldn't last as Reza, whose 20 points a year ago were the most by a SDSU player since 1996, grabbed a loose ball and blasted a shot into the left-corner of the net from about 15 yards away. The goal, which happened in the 31st minute, was the final good scoring opportunity for either team the rest of the first half.
Heading into the halftime intermission, San Diego State held the edge in shots (7-6), while the Phoenix had a 3-1 advantage in corner kicks.
The Aztecs put together a nice run in the 51st minute that began when freshman Jose Altamirano (San Diego/Southwest HS) gave the ball up to junior Michio Akazawa (Bellevue, Wash.). Akazawa then beat a Wisconsin-Green Bay defender and sent a ball back to Toft, who ripped his shot just high and right toward the far post.
SDSU kept its pressure on in the early going of the second half and almost took a 3-1 lead right at the 60:00 mark. On the play, senior Daniel Ortega (San Diego/Eastlake HS) sent a left-footed cross into the box to redshirt sophomore Andre Acevedo (San Diego/Eastlake HS). Acevedo outjumped teammate Chance Marden (Fremont, Calif.) and a Phoenix defender to head the ball toward the net. Wisconsin-Green Bay goalkeeper Ryan Wehking, however, was able to punch the ball over the crossbar and out of harm's way.
The Phoenix regrouped to tie the game less than five minutes later when JC Banks broke through the right side and beat San Diego State redshirt sophomore goalkeeper R.J. Smith (San Diego/Granite Hills HS/UC Davis) to the lower-left corner from about 16 yards out. It was Banks' fifth goal of the season.
Nine minutes later, Wisconsin-Green Bay's Ilya Ksonidi received a through ball inside 10 yards and looked to give his team its first lead of the game. The Aztecs' Smith, making his first start of the season and third of his collegiate career, came out of his net and challenged Ksonidi, making him push it wide left.
The Phoenix had its last good chance in the 75th minute but Tony Walls' header attempt missed the near post.
SDSU responded and, although it didn't score, arguably dominated the rest of the way, as evident by its 5-1 shot advantage over the final 24:01. The team's best chance to put the game away in regulation came in the 87th minute. Junior Khadim Diouf (Dakar, Senegal) gave it up to Sacco, who touched a brilliant pass to a waiting Marden. Marden had a good look at the net from 12 yards out but his chance was rifled right at a game Wehking.
San Diego State went after the victory 59 seconds into the first overtime as Reza fed a streaking Altamirano. Altamirano was unable to get off a good attempt, though, as a Wisconsin-Green Bay defender closed down the angle to block the shot attempt.
Senior preseason All-American Nick Cardenas (Thornton, Colo.) gave the Aztecs some hope in the final seconds of the first extra period but his jumping header was stopped once again by Wehking.
The play would be the final good scoring chance for either team as the match would end in a 2-2 draw.
Each squad finished with 17 shots apiece, with SDSU posting more (6-3) shots on goal. The Phoenix outcornered San Diego State by a slim 8-6 margin.
Toft led the Aztecs with four shot attempts, while Diouf got away three shots. Cardenas, Reza and Sacco each had two attempts. Six players - Altamirano, redshirt senior Steve Beitashour (San Jose, Calif.), Cardenas, Smith, sophomore Daniel Steres (Calabasas, Calif.) and Toft - played all 110 minutes.
Smith (0-0-1) made one stop in in net for SDSU while Wehking had four saves.
San Diego State plays host to the Nike Aztec Soccer Classic next weekend (Sept. 25-27) with matches against nationally ranked UC Santa Barbara (4 p.m. Friday) and Princeton (noon Sunday).