Oct. 17, 2008

Box Score

Santa Barbara, Calif. - Despite giving up an early goal, the Pacific soccer team battled back to earn an all important point in the conference standings, playing to a 1-1 draw in double overtime with UC Santa Barbara on Friday, October 17. The draw moves the Tigers to 8-5-1 overall and 3-1-1 (10 points) in the Big West while the Gauchos moved to 9-5-1 overall and 2-1-1 (seven points) in conference play.

The contest was Pacific's first overtime game of the season.

Hitting the road after a big weekend last weekend at home, the Tigers found themselves in an immediate hole against the Gauchos after relinquishing the first goal of the contest just five minutes in. After a Pacific foul gave UC Santa Barbara a free kick near the Tigers' goal, the Gauchos made good on their open opportunity to post what would be their only goal of the game.

With a dangerous free kick in Pacific's territory, Jacqui Simon struck a ball off of the Tigers' defensive wall which careened towards her teammate Genelle Ives who promptly redirected the deflection past redshirt freshman Amanda McNab (Laguna Niguel, Calif.) and into the back of the net. The deflected goal would be one of just four shots on goal for the Gauchos in the contest with McNab closing out the contest with three saves in 110:00 minutes of action.

Down an early goal just minutes into the start of the contest, the Tigers continued to battle the Gauchos, holding the UC Santa Barbara attack at bay while creating their own scoring opportunities in the offensive third. However, despite Pacific's offensive firepower along the front, it would be Pacific's defensive stopper in the back, sophomore Kylee Ah Choy (Mililani, Hawaii) who would provide the fireworks for the Tigers and earn her team an equalizer.

Playing even with the Gauchos throughout the entire contest, Pacific would finally get its tying score with just 15 minutes to go in regulation, taking advantage of a free kick just as the Gauchos had done 70 minutes prior. Drawing a foul inside UC Santa Barbara's half, Ah Choy took the Tigers' free kick from approximately 35 yards out from the goal, firing a ball towards the Gauchos' net. The well struck shot by Ah Choy found its way past Ali Cutler in goal and into the back of the net, knotting the contest at 1-1. The goal was the first of Ah Choy's career on her first shot of the season.

With a renewed game, the two teams continued their fight, playing even the rest of regulation and through two 10 minute overtime periods to finish the game even. In both overtime periods each team posted one shot with the Tigers nearly stealing all three points from the game in the final seconds on a shot by freshman Kristina Wavomba (Encinitas, Calif.) that forced Cutler to make a diving save to preserve the draw. Cutler finished with three saves on the night to equal McNab's effort on the other side of the field.

The Tigers continue their road trip on Sunday, October 19, when they travel to Cal State Northridge to take on the Matadors in Big West Conference action. The game is scheduled for 2:30 pm.