Willing and Able

Saturday, September 30

St. George, Utah

6:00 PM

California Baptist University

3-0-07-0-1/ PacWest

Dixie State

3-1-07-1-0/ PacWest

OT 3

OT 4

California Baptist

Dixie State

Photo by: Jacob Gonzalez

9/30/2017 9:11:00 PM | Men's Soccer

Box Score

By: Sammi Wellman, Director of Sports Information

ST. GEORGE, Utah — For the first time this season, California Baptist University was held scoreless at halftime, but it was only a matter of time.

The No. 10-ranked Lancers knew they would have a battle against undefeated Dixie State and they got just that with the game going into double overtime. CBU was determined – despite hitting the post twice, the crossbar once and having three balls cleared off the line by DSU defenders – to come away with the win though and grabbed the golden goal to defeat the Trailblazers 2-1.

"Today was a very high-level game but it was also one of those games where you wonder if it's just not going to happen for you after so many near misses and their goalkeeper playing out of his mind," said Coach Coe Michaelson. "And that's not to discredit them. They are a very good team and they responded very well to our goal and took it to us for a while. But for the rest of the game, outside of that 15-20 minutes, we were excellent and got what we deserved in the end."

CBU, which was without two of its key defenders in Gabriel Silva and Joey Scotti, remains undefeated with a 7-0-1 overall mark, sitting 3-0-0 in the PacWest. DSU drops to 7-1-0 on the year and 3-1 in conference with its first loss.

Neither team could capitalize in the opening 45 minutes, going into halftime deadlocked at 0-0. Not that the Lancers didn't have their chances, they had 12 shots in the first half alone, compared to DSU's two.

Aidan Apodaca had scored at least once in each of CBU's previous seven games and Saturday wasn't any different. The senior – who leads all of NCAA (Division I, II and III) in goals – scored his 18^th goal of the year to break the program's single-season record, going along with his single-game scoring record of five goals set earlier this year. Apodaca also holds the single-season record for consecutive games with a goal scored after scoring in each of CBU's eight games.

It came in the 67^th minute after Chris Heckenberg chipped a ball just outside the 18-yard box, allowing Apodaca to take a touch past a defender and send it into the back of the net, 1-0.

"It's great to see Aidan get that record goal tonight, but soccer is also a game where stats don't tell the whole story," said Michaelson. "He is one of the best strikers in the county and playing like an All-American, but I thought [Sebastian Wiesboeck] was the best player on the pitch tonight and that's something the stats might not tell you."

The lead was short-lived, however, as Dixie State equalized in the 73^rd minute.

DSU got a breakaway with just about two minutes left in regulation, hoping for the go-ahead goal, but Edgar Benitez cut down the angle and the Trailblazer's shot was too far to the right.

The Lancers had a few last-minute shots themselves, but couldn't really get a good look on goal to send the game into overtime.

CBU came out and put the pressure full on in the first overtime period. Apodaca fired off a shot on goal just a minute into the extra period, but the Trailblazer goalkeeper made the save. Daniel Westholm looked like he would be the golden boy in the 98^th minute, but hit the post.

In the final 10-minute overtime period, CBU got what it was looking for in the 104^th minute. After Joey Chica sent in a long throw-in, the defense couldn't get it out and Westholm tipped it over to Abe Placito, who headed it in for the golden goal, 2-1.

The Lancers finished with 31 shots, putting nine on frame, but pulled out the win. They'll look to build on that offensive momentum into next week as CBU hosts Concordia University of Irvine on Wednesday and Point Loma on Saturday, both at 3:30 p.m.

"It was a great team effort and we had a lot of big time individual performances tonight, but now it's time to prepare for Concordia," said Michaelson.