Boxers End First Half Of NWC Season With A Tie
Summary:
Men's Soccer: Tie : 1-1 | Stats
Pacific ended the first half of the NWC men's soccer season with their fourth tie of the year as the Boxers battled to a 1-1 deadlock with Whitman
FOREST GROVE - For the fourth time in seven league matches this
season, Pacific ended in a deadlock as the Boxers fought to a 1-1 tie
with Whitman Sunday in Northwest Conference men's soccer action at
Lincoln Park Stadium.
After single goals by both sides in the first half, neither the Boxers
nor Missionaries could connect over the final 65 minutes of
action. With the deadlock, Pacific (6-3-4, 2-1-4 NWC) enters the
second half of the season in fifth place in the NWC, one point behind
Puget Sound and three points behind third place Pacific Lutheran.
The tied allowed Whitman (6-1-6, 4-1-2 NWC) to maintain second place in
the league at 14 points, one point behind Whitworth.
After two matches where the Boxers scored goals in the first minute of
play, it initially appeared as if Whitman would beat Pacific at their
own game. Just 30 seconds in, Jasper Lipton took a shot from 15
yards out that was punched away by Pacific goalkeeper Andrew Stevermer
(So., Gillette, Wyo.). Lipton's rebound attempt came off of
Stevermer's hands and into the top of the net, but the goal was
disallowed by an offside call.
Avery Neal (So., Los Alamos, N.M., pictured) broke the ice with a
25-yard bouncer for a goal in the 34th minute. He started the
play with a throw-in that came in to Brandon Porter (Jr., Canby,
Ore.). Murray passed the ball back towards the far sideline to
Neal. His attempt bounced along the ground and had just enough
hook to swing into the far corner for his first goal of the season.
Whitman used the set play to tie the match in the 43rd minute.
Cooper Crosby tied it with his first goal of the season, heading a shot
in from eight-yards out off of a corner kick by Joe Johnson.
Neither team put together a quality scoring opportunity in the second
half until the 70th minute. Jared Komo (Sr., Kailua, Hawaii)
found himself open from 35 yards off of a deflected free kick.
His rocket flew just wide right of the net. Kizamu Tsutakawa
(So., Seattle, Wash.) missed two late opportunities, shooting high on a
25-yard shot in the 87th minute and a second time on a last-second shot
at the end of regulation, also from 25-yards away.
Pacific came out with an aggressive offensive flurry at the start of
overtime, putting up three shots in the first three minutes. An
attempt form eight yards by Danny Williams (Sr., Eugene, Ore.) went
wide and a follow-up at close range by Jasem Jaihouni (So., Portland,
Ore.) was saved by Whitman goalkeeper Brett Axelrod. A third
opportunity, a header by Travis Birrell (So., Portland, Ore.), off a
free kick just to the near side of the box, went just wide.
In the second overtime, Whitman's John Fleming appeared to have it won
in the 108th minute with a laser shot from just inside the 18-yard
box, but Komo came up to block the ball away. Just 30
seconds later, Todd Wilenius was wide open from 10 yards away, but
Stevermer was there to make the clutch save.
Pacific outshot Whitman 15-13, but the Missionaries held the 5-3 edge
in shots on goal. Stevermer made four saves for the Boxers, while
Whitman's Brett Axelrod made two stops for the Missionaries.
Pacific will open the second half of the NWC season with three road
matches, playing at George Fox Wednesday and Pacific Lutheran on
Sunday. Whitman return home to host Linfield on Saturday and
Willamette on Sunday.
Posted by Blake Timm (timmbr@pacificu.edu) on Oct 12, 2008 at 6:20 PM
