Sept. 2, 2011
SAN DIEGO -
Despite owning a commanding 46-7 shot advantage and 14-2 lead in corner kicks, the San Diego State men's soccer team settled for a 2-2, double-overtime draw with Long Island Friday at SDSU Sports Deck on Montezuma Road. The Aztecs remained undefeated with a 1-0-1 record heading into Sunday's Battle of San Diego match with USD at Torero Stadium (8 p.m. PT).
SDSU dominated possession throughout the game and fired shots at will, putting 16 on net and another one each off the crossbar and left post. San Diego State forced Blackbird (0-0-1) goalkeeper Adam Janssen to make 14 saves.
The Aztecs appeared to have completed their second straight come-from-behind victory when freshman Tyler Smith (Huntington Beach, Calif.) headed in his second goal of the game off a corner kick by sophomore Miles Byass (Highland, Calif.) at the 69:53 mark.
LIU, however, loaded its team in the box on a corner kick in the waning moments and Elliot Kane finished into the back of the net on a scramble with two seconds remaining in regulation. Neither team scored in either overtime, ending the match at 2-2.
SDSU had plenty of scoring chances throughout the game, but was consistently unable to finish.
The first good opportunity for either team was in the seventh minute by San Diego State junior Jose Altamirano (San Diego/Southwest HS), but he chipped his semi-breakaway over the frame.
A bit later, an Aztec player lost the ball at the centerline and Long Island capitalized on the counterattack. Steve Jakubowski stole the ball, dribbled toward the left side and found Josh Maley, who knocked it in from five yards out. The shot would be one of the Blackbirds' two attempts in the first half.
The goal didn't thwart SDSU's plan of peppering the LIU backline with shots as junior Abraham Villon (Garden Grove, Calif.) hit a free kick off the crossbar from 25 yards out in the ninth minute.
Junior Ata Ozbay (Barrington, Ill.) then had three close chances over a span of just over three minutes. In the 13th minute, the Univ. of Wisconsin transfer had his shot stopped by a diving Janssen. The ball was then deflected out of the box by a Long Island defender. Ozbay also had his close range attempt stopped by Janssen in the 16th minute and San Diego State was unable to pounce on the rebound around the goal mouth. At the 16:11 mark, Ozbay found himself inside 12 yards after a give-and-go with senior Daniel Steres (Calabasas, Calif.), but his attempt was just left.
In the 41st minute, Byass beat a Long Island defender on the left and crossed it across the goal mouth to a breaking Jordan Ongaro (Edmonton, Alberta). Ongaro, however, flicked the ball right at Janssen.
The last good chance for either team in the first half came in the 43nd minute, Villon sent in a cross to the box to Smith, who was all alone past the defense. Smith volleyed it over the frame.
At the half, the Aztecs had 14 of the game's 16 shots and all five corner kicks.
SDSU came out firing once again in the second 45. In the 47th minute, Smith headed Byass' corner kick toward the left side of the net past Janssen, who came out to challenge the play. But a Blackbird defender stood his ground to clear the ball away from the line.
Smith wouldn't miss his next attempt at the 47:39 mark, when he headed Altamirano's corner kick into the right corner for his first career goal.
Ozbay had quality chances in the 55th minute (high from close range) and 56th minute (jumping save by Janssen), respectively, but was unable to find the net.
The score remained 1-1 until Smith's go-ahead header in the 70th minute and Kane's desperate equalizer in the final seconds of regulation to force overtime.
LIU's Jakeem Johnson had the first scoring opportunity of overtime at the 91:03 mark, but his ambitious 27-yard attempt was stopped by San Diego State redshirt sophomore Blake Hylen (San Diego/Torrey Pines HS).
In the 94th minute, Smith threw a long ball from the sideline, where Ongaro deflected it past a screened Janssen and off the left post.
Byass had another good chance in the 97th minute when Altamirano found him breaking down the left side. Byass just missed the far post from 14 yards.
In the 103rd minute, Aztec redshirt sophomore John Pegg (Edmonton, Alberta) received a looping ball from redshirt senior Pedro Adan (San Diego/Preuss HS), but his point blank attempt in front of the keeper went wide right.
Long Island countered at the 1:03:40 mark when Brice Merwine had a semi-breakaway. The SDSU defense recovered and forced Merwine to push it well over the frame.
Byass tried to end the game at the 1:05:07 mark when his free kick bent around the Blackbird wall. Janssen was in the right place at the right time to make the stop.
LIU countered and ended up with a 3-on-2 break. Jakubowski, who was one of the team's top scorers last year, blasted the ball over the net for the team's final chance of the match.
San Diego State put together one last flurry in the 109th minute, but Byass was blocked by a defender from close range and missed the rebound high.
Byass had nine shots (three on net) to pace the Aztec offense, while Ozbay fired seven attempts (three on net). Sophomore Michael Channell (Boca Raton, Fla.), Pegg, Smith, Steres and Villon chipped in with four shots apiece. Adan, Altamirano and Ongaro added three attempts.
Hylen made two saves in 110 minutes for SDSU.
San Diego State will take part in its annual Alumni Game tomorrow (Saturday), beginning at 1 p.m. PT on SDSU Sports Deck, before making the short drive to Torero Stadium for the Battle of San Diego on Sunday (8 p.m. PT).
MAN OF THE MATCH: Freshman Tyler Smith earned Man of the Match honors for helping the Aztecs come from behind before settling for a 2-2, double-overtime tie. Smith scored both of SDSU's goals, each the first of his career. He had four shots (three on net) in 110 minute of play.
Goal Summary
1, LIU - Josh Maley (1) (Steve Jakubowski (1)), 7:48
2, SDSU - Tyler Smith (1) (Jose Altamirano (1)), 47:39
3, SDSU - Tyler Smith (2) (Miles Byass (2)), 69:53
4, LIU - Elliot Kane (1) (unassisted), 89:58<>