Oct. 3, 2010
SAN DIEGO -
Junior captain Daniel Steres (Calabasas, Calif.) headed in the game-winner in the second minute of overtime to give the 22nd-ranked San Diego State men's soccer team a 4-3 victory over No. 23 Washington Sunday at SDSU SportsDeck. The Aztecs, who played a man down the final 19 minutes, 30 seconds, improved to 1-1 in the Pac-10 and 7-2-1 overall, while the Huskies dropped to 0-2 and 6-3-1.
On the play, redshirt junior Gemechu Abraham (Beaverton, Ore.) sent in a kick to the box, where Steres headed it past the UW goalkeeper Stephen Fung at the 91:48 mark.
SDSU took leads a 1-0, 2-1 and 3-2, but Washington answered each time. San Diego State, which was coming off a tough 2-1 loss to Oregon State on Friday, landed the final punch with Steres' game-winner.
The Aztecs got on the scoreboard just 1:19 into the match when senior captain Khadim Diouf (Dakar, Senegal) finished in front of the net from Steres and sophomore Jose Altamirano (San Diego/Southwest HS).
The Huskies answered in the sixth minute as Brent Richards headed in a cross from Daniel Gray. The goal came after SDSU redshirt senior goalkeeper Brad Byrns (Alamo, Calif.) made a nice save on a Richards attempt from just outside the box.
San Diego State responded at the 7:52 mark with Diouf and Altamirano hooking up again. Altamirano sent in a long ball to Diouf, who placed a shot towards the far post from 18 yards.
UW tied it up in the 36th minute when Taylor Peay dribbled into the box and passed it to Richards, who finished into the left corner from close range.
At halftime, Washington had the 7-3 advantage in shots and a 5-0 lead in corner kicks.
The Aztecs came out attacking in the second 45, firing the first four shots of the half. Senior captain Raymundo Reza (Denver, Colo.) had the first quality chance, but missed wide left in the 63rd minute.
Two minutes later, Altamirano took a corner kick that flicked off Steres and bounced off a Husky defender and into the net for an own goal.
Once again, however, UW responded. After a SDSU defender took down a Washington player in the box in the 66th minute, Dylan Tucker-Gangnes converted the penalty kick, just off the hands of a diving Byrns (7-2-1).
San Diego State had the final two good chances of regulation. The first came in the 74th minute when redshirt freshman Jordan Ongaro (Edmonton, Alberta) ripped a shot that was saved by Fung (6-3-1). In the 81st minute, Fung knocked down Reza's direct kick from 40 yards and Steres was unable to get a foot on the rebound from close range.
Steres then ended the game 1:48 into the first overtime.
The Aztecs outshot the Huskies, 12-11, with each team putting six of their shots on net.
Reza led SDSU with four shots, while Diouf and Ongaro chipped in with two attempts apiece.
Byrns played all 90 minutes and made three saves. Fung had two stops for UW.
San Diego State travels to nationally ranked UCLA for a Saturday game at 7 p.m. PT.
MAN OF THE MATCH: Senior captain Khadim Diouf (Dakar, Senegal) was named the Man of the Match after scoring two goals for SDSU. Diouf gave the Aztecs a 1-0 and 2-1 lead with goals in the second and eighth minute, respectively. Diouf played all 92 minutes and drew numerous fouls in the Washington third of the field.