Oct. 26, 2007
Box Score
Stockton, Calif. - Playing for the final time at Stagg Memorial Stadium, Pacific soccer's nine seniors settled for a 0-0 draw with UC Santa Barbara (UCSB) on Friday, October 26. The draw marked the second time in as many seasons the two teams played even through 110:00 minutes. With the draw the Tigers moved to 6-6-4 overall and 1-3-2 in the Big West while the Gauchos moved to 5-8-4 overall and 2-2-1 in the conference.
In front of their home crowd for the final time in 2007, the Tigers held nothing back in search of their first win in four games. However, Pacific's intensity was matched every step of the way by a Gaucho team also looking for an ever important win in search of a berth into the Big West tournament at season's end.
Pacific came out firing from the opening whistle forcing Katie Wright, UCSB's netminder, to make a diving save on a point blank shot from senior Mandi Van Dorn just three minutes into the contest. The near miss of a goal and the tough save would be telling for how the rest of the game would go as both Wright and senior Jaime Souza (Gig Harbor, Wash.) fought for the clean sheet.
The Tigers continued to press the attack for much of the first half until the Gauchos swung the momentum with just over fifteen minutes to play in the half with five unanswered shots including two on goal that forced Souza to come up with the save. For the half, the Gauchos outshot the Tigers 8-to-5 with Souza picking up three saves to Wright's two.
The second half was no different than the first as with every Tiger attack the Gauchos answered back with one of their own. As the pressure grew so too did the scoring opportunities for both teams as regulation neared an end. In the 85th minute, UCSB's Sarah Stoltz sent a line drive shot towards the top corner of the net which looked as if it would break the scoreless tie. However, Souza continued her stellar play in net with a well timed punch to the ball sending it over the crossbar and away from danger. Pacific responded to the threat with two of its own chances in the 87th minute when senior Bunny Dickson (Millbrae, Calif.) sent a shot toward net from 30 yards deep only to see it picked out of the air by Wright. Seconds later, junior Andrea Carrara (Belmont, Calif.) was robbed of her game-winning opportunity after flicking a header on net inside of the Gaucho's 18.
With the game scoreless after 90:00 minutes, both teams appeared to take a break during the first 10:00 minute overtime as neither side could sustain an attack. Things changed in the second 10:00 minute overtime as the Tigers and the Gauchos slugged it out with eight combined shots in the second overtime period, forcing Souza and Wright to combine for five saves in the period.
On the night, Souza finished with seven saves while Wright tallied eight of her own to keep the Tigers' off the scoreboard. Dickson notched five shots in the contest with three coming on net, all during the second half and the two overtime periods. On the other side, Kailyn Kugler tallied five shots of her own with two on frame.
Despite the scoreless draw, the Tigers did witness some fireworks after the contest as they witnessed one of their own, senior Audrey Booth (Salt Lake City, Utah) become engaged to be married in a very special proposal at midfield.
Pacific will be back in action on Sunday, October 28, as they travel to San Luis Obispo, Calif. to take on the Cal Poly Mustangs in Big West Conference action. Game time is scheduled for 1:00 pm.
