California Baptist University
Vanguard University (Calif.)
DOWN BUT NOT OUT
10/22/2008 7:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
RIVERSIDE, Calif. --- Gabriel Gonzalez's penalty kick less than three minutes into overtime lifted a short-handed California Baptist University to a wild and thrilling 3-2 win over the NAIA's No. 14-ranked Vanguard on a hot and windy Wednesday afternoon.
The win moves the Lancers to 7-5-2 overall, 3-3-1 (10 points) GSAC, snapping a two-game losing streak to the Lions and also bettering last year's conference win total with three games remaining.
The Lions, meanwhile, have their seven-game unbeaten streak snapped as they fall to 7-4-2, 5-1-1 (16 points).
Indeed it was a wild affair that had a little bit of everything. There were five cautions, most of them questionable, two red cards, including one after the game's conclusion, wind-blown canopies, players throwing-up on the field, broken hearts and utter jubilation.
A short-handed CBU team took a two-goal lead, only to see it evaporate in the final 24 minutes and then bounce back with the game-winner just 2:48 into overtime on, of all things, a penalty kick. That set off a wild celebration on the CBU side as well as vehement protests from the Vanguard side that resulted in a red card.
“We have had opportunities to make statements this year, and we just haven't been able to,” said first-year CBU Head Coach Ryan Jorden. “If there were ever a statement game for us, it was this. To pull out a win against the conference-leader after going a man down and conceding a two-goal lead, it doesn't get any better than that.”
It took little time for the Lancers to get in position for the winner. After a shot by Vanguard's Tom Culver, the Lancers broke free at the other end on their ensuing possession. Osvaldo Bastida played a ball through to the right side to Robbie Dodson, who was taken down in the area by a Lion defender, and a penalty kick was awarded.
Gonzalez stepped up and sent the shot to Trevor Herrera's left, but the Lion keeper dove right and the Lancers secured the victory.
“We always feel like we can create chances,” said Jorden. “For us, though, we haven't been taking and finishing those chances lately. We continued to fight to create chances today, even when we went a man down. Our willingness to work together from start to finish was tremendous today. We just kept fighting for each other.”
After a scoreless first half, the Lancers broke through with a strange goal in the 60th minute when they went on the attack and played a ball right in front of the goal mouth. As a Lion defender attempted to clear the ball from danger, it deflected off another VU defender and then caromed off a charging Willie Rupert, who was in the right place at the right time, and into the net. It was the freshman left back's first goal of his career.
Just 49 seconds after the game's first goal, the Lancers' Tim Wardell was called for a foul and then was promptly issued his second yellow card, albeit a questionable one, in a seven-minute span and was sent off with a soft red card, leaving the Lancers a man down the rest of the way.
“This was just a good college soccer game, and it's unfortunate that someone other than a player could make decisions in such a way that affect the game negatively on both sides,” said Jorden.
Less than six minutes later, though, the Lancers doubled the advantage when Anthony Mascari placed a perfect chip over the Vanguard defense. Gonzalez ran onto it and had no one but Herrera to beat. Gonzalez took one touch and beat Herrera for his first of two goals.
Exactly 1:01 after Gonzalez made it 2-0, the Lions cut the deficit in half. Culver and Scott Roquemore connected to get the ball down the right side. Ryan Kenney ran from the far post onto the cross and beat a helpless CBU keeper Jeff Redinger to make it 2-1.
The Lancers had a golden opportunity in the 79th minute to make it 3-1, but Herrera stoned Bastida's breakaway, keeping the Lions within striking distance.
Then, in the 84th minute, the Lions struck with the equalizer. Tomislav Colic blasted a shot that Redinger parried off to his right. The Lancer defenders were unable to clear the rebound, and Dane Gallion cleaned up the rebound with his first goal of the season to knot the game up.
The Lions nearly found the game-winner in the 88th minute, but Gallion's attempt from the right side sailed just over the crossbar, and the game was headed for overtime.
The Lions out-shot the Lancers, 21-13, but Redinger came up with a career-high eight saves.
“I really think our two keepers have a chance to be one of the best one-two punches in the conference when it's all said and done,” said Jorden. “Jeff was fantastic today, and he's been terrific for the past month. He kept us in the game today.”
