Oct. 28, 2012
CORVALLIS, Ore. -
San Diego State-Oregon State Final Box
The San Diego State men's soccer team played 110 wet and rainy minutes on the road and came away with a 1-1 double-overtime draw at Oregon State Sunday afternoon. The result watches the Aztecs' record move to 6-7-3 overall and 0-5-2 in Pac-12 action. The Beavers, meanwhile, end the day at 6-8-3 (1-6-2 Pac-12).
OSU struck first as it came down the field with the Aztecs knocking the ball toward the left side of the field. The loose ball made its way to a sprinting Kevin Bodle, who sent a cross into the middle of the box from 26 yards out. Glen Paden then came diving in head first and the forward snuck his header into the lower left corner in the 18th minute to give Oregon State a 1-0 lead.
The Beavers nearly took a 2-0 lead when Emery Welshman fired a shot that SDSU goalkeeper Tim Peitsch saved nicely. The rebound, however, went to Alex Penny and Peitsch made another wonderful save to stop Oregon State.
Minutes later, co-captain Kevin Bick dribbled in from the top through traffic and his low liner from just outside the 18 beat OSU keeper Matt Bersano. The equalizing goal in the 24th minute, which found the lower left corner, was Bick's third of the season.
With 12 minutes left before halftime, the Aztecs nearly scored their second goal of the day when Jose Altamirano took a ball from Bick and chipped a pass into the middle of the box. The oncoming Casey Meuser put a right foot on it, but the shot went just wide of the post.
The first half ended in a 1-1 tie and featured a San Diego State side that outplayed the Beavers. The Aztecs outshot Oregon State, 10-5, and managed six shots on goal compared to OSU's three.
In the second half, the Aztecs' first good look at the net came with just under 14 minutes to play in regulation. Oregon State failed to clear the ball and SDSU took advantage by coming back and eventually finding Blake Wise. The junior took a few dribbles, found an open space and took a left-footed shot from 19 yards out, but was stopped by Bersano.
On the ensuing possession, Oregon State earned a corner kick and Welshman's service found Bjorn Sandberg, who won a leaping battle with Tim Peitsch and headed the ball, which grazed the top of the crossbar and sailed out of play.
After 90 minutes of action, the score remained deadlocked. San Diego State still found itself with a lead in shots (16-14) and shots on goal (8-4) with the game moving to overtime.
In the two 10-minute extra sessions, both teams did a good job of thwarting any threatening chances as each team put one shot on goal and the game eventually ended in a draw.
At the end of the day, San Diego State finished with a 21-18 advantage in shots and a 9-5 edge in shots on goal. Leading the way for the Aztecs was Altamirano, who had a game-high six shots and a game-high four shots on goal. Wise, meanwhile, added four shots of his own with two coming on net. Lastly, Peitsch made four saves in net for the Aztecs.
SDSU returns to action on Thursday when it plays host to California. First tap at Montezuma Road is set for 7 p.m. PT and admission is free.
MAN OF THE MATCH: Kevin Bick is the Man of the Match after providing the equalizing goal in the first half. The junior co-captain found himself in numerous plays which resulted in solid scoring opportunities. Individually, Bick attempted two shots in 98 starting minutes and helped neutralize the Beavers' offense after they scored in the 18th minute.