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(October 6, 2007) -- UC
Riverside played to a 2-2 tie with visiting Cal Pal Poly Saturday
afternoon at the UCR Soccer Stadium. Freshman Cito Soriano
and senior Steven Kaufman scored the goals for UCR (3-3-3,
0-1-1 Big West) who have played to double overtime ties in
three of their last four games.
Soriano gave the Highlanders
a 1-0 lead with his team-leading fourth goal of the season
at the 31st minute. Sophomore Michael Galland made a beautiful
crossing pass from just outside the right side of the box
to Soriano as he out-jumped a group of defenders and found
the top left corner of the net.
The Highlanders took the
1-0 advantage into the half by out-shooting Cal Poly (6-1-1,
1-0-1 Big West) 8-6. UCR also committed eight fouls compared
to the Mustangs’ six.
Cal Poly came out in the
second half with a renewed sense of urgency, constantly putting
the ball into UCR territory. Ryan Anderson got behind the
Highlander defense and was able to get enough of a shot to
skip it past a charging UCR keeper Charles Alamo to tie it
at 1-1 in the 55th minute.
A series of whistles left
the Highlanders a man down when a questionable call resulted
in Soriano being given a red card and sent to the bench. Cal
Poly took quick advantage as a left-footed Kyle Montgomery
put the Mustangs up 2-1 when his shot, off of the free-kick
from just outside the box, found the top right corner just
over the UCR wall of players.
UCR answered three minutes
later when Kaufman’s’ free-kick from just inside
midfield got past the keeper after bouncing in the goalie
box and off of a group of players that had been battling for
position. The two teams continued to play tough physical soccer
as regulation time expired with two more yellow cards whistled
against the Highlanders late in the half.
With the Highlanders having
to play a man down, they were on the defense throughout most
of the second half and both overtime periods. Both teams came
out shooting to start the second overtime. Just 50 seconds
in, the Mustangs nearly picked up a win after a crossing pass
found two Cal Poly players in a two-on-one situation with
Alamo. Alamo stoned the first shot, but the ball stayed in
the box and a second Mustang got a shot off but junior Joel
Crompton had come over to the aide of Alamo and headed the
shot away.
Minutes later, UCR sophomore
forward Robert Cate got behind the Cal Poly defense but just
before he was able to launch a potential game-winner, Branagan-Franco
came out and met Cate with a clean slide tackle to knock the
ball away.
The Highlanders launched
24 shots for a second time this season, the 24 shots are the
second most in a game since joining Division I in 2001. Alamo
made six saves.
UCR continues conference
play with matches at Cal State Fullerton on Wednesday at 7
pm and at Cal State Northridge, Saturday at 2 pm.
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