San Diego State men’s soccer lost 1-0 to Oregon State on Oct. 24 at the SDSU Sports Deck.
The Aztecs (3-9-1, 0-6-0 Pac-12) found themselves on the short end of the stick in a game where the result could have gone either way.
The game started off slow as there were only four shots and four corner-kicks between the two sides after 45 minutes of play.
At the end of regulation, Oregon State (6-5-1, 3-2-1 Pac-12) led the Aztecs 11-6 on shots but totaled the same amount of corners.
Both teams pressed for goal in the final minutes but couldn’t find a finish as time expired, forcing the game to overtime.
According to Pac-12 Conference play regulations, there are two 10-minute periods with a sudden death ‘golden goal’ rule.
Eight minutes into the first period of overtime, a ball popped back towards the Aztec backline but had enough pace on it to slip beyond reach of SDSU’s defenders.
It became a footrace between Beavers sophomore forward Gloire Amanda and SDSU goalkeeper Tetsuya Kadono for the ball.
Amanda got there first and instinctively chipped the ball off Kadono’s right side into the back of the net.
The Beavers won the match and handed the Aztecs their fifth-straight loss.
“It’s turning into a long season for us,” head coach Lev Kirshner said. “Things are not falling into our direction. Teams aren’t just going to give us victories.”
These two teams met earlier this year with the Aztecs losing the first matchup 2-1 on Sept. 22 in Corvallis, Ore.
Oregon State was the only Pac-12 win for SDSU in the 2018 season.
“I was still extremely proud of how we played,” Kirshner said. “In soccer it just takes one moment and they made us pay for our mistake.”
The Aztecs hoped to end their losing streak and turn their season around.
Kirshner said his team executed a nearly perfect game plan.
“The team was dialed in and fully bought into this game,” Kirshner said. “Tonight’s performance showed there was effort in all areas of the game.”
SDSU freshman goalkeeper Tetsuya Kadono said small mistakes are part of the game but it helps players further grow and develop.
“The effort was there and we worked hard,” Kadono said. “At the end, individual mistakes can change the end result.”
The Aztecs lost their previous match in ugly fashion, losing 5-1 to Marshall.
SDSU senior midfielder Adam Vargas said the team didn’t want to repeat what happened last game and focused on tightening up on defense.
“Everybody stuck to their jobs and roles on the team,” Vargas said. “It was a mess for us last time and today we wanted to bounce back.”
Next up for the Aztecs is welcoming the No. 1 team in the nation in the Washington Huskies on Oct. 27 at the SDSU Sports Deck.
SDSU has pulled off upsets against top seeds in the past. Back in 2016, the Aztecs defeated then-No. 1 Akron 1-0.
“We have the opportunity to create history and do something our program has done before,” Kirshner said.
