REDLANDS, Calif. – The University of Redlands Men's Soccer team (11-3-4, 8-2-2 SCIAC) exited the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) Tournament Thursday night finishing in a draw with Chapman University. The Panthers advanced to the SCIAC Tournament final on PK's (4-2) despite Zach Darmanyan (San Diego, CA) scoring the equalizer with only seven seconds remaining to force overtime and send Bulldog nation into a frenzy.
Brady Bachman (San Diego, CA) opened the game with a save in the fifth minute, just :27 seconds before Phillip Kostenko (Redmond, WA) took a shot that was curling out towards the far post, but Panther 2nd Team All-SCIAC keeper Alex Glynn got a fingertip to it. That look was the best one for either side until later in the half.
Anders Beckton (Seattle, WA) and Cody Bell (Highland, WA) each put two more shots on target through the 32nd minute, but neither were truly dangerous as Glynn handled the six-yard box well.
Then in the 42nd minute, the Panthers drew a foul about 10 yards from the top right corner of the penalty area. They took advantage of the opportunity by sending the free kick toward the back post where Cormac Galvin scored with a header across goal for his first tally of the season.
Owen Jamieson (Danville, CA) forced two Glynn saves to begin the second half but neither were super dangerous. Then in the 72nd minute, Jamieson again had an opportunity, this time he had Glynn beat, but a defensive save at the near post kept the Bulldogs off the scoreboard.
After five more failed attempts to equalize against a Panthers team that sat in a block, the U of R got one last chance from Kostenko. In the final seconds he dribbled down the right side of the box and served a cross to the back post where a defender knocked it down. It then fell right to Darmanyan who smashed it home to even the game at one with only seven seconds left on the scoreboard, erupting the home crowd.
In the two ten-minute overtimes, where any score would have ended the game, the Bulldogs' defense kept possession and did not allow a shot, while they took four, with only one being on target.
With the game ending in a 1-1 tie after 110 minutes, the two sides went into the decisive penalty kicks, where the Panthers stepped to the spot first.
Chapman converted on their first attempt and Glynn came up big with a stop on Kostenko's look, keeping the Panthers up 1-0 after one rotation. In the second round, Bachman came up big with a save and Beckton followed by slotting home his attempt to make it 1-1.
The Panthers again put the pressure on the Bulldogs with a conversion, bringing up C. Bell, whose shot hit the crossbar and deflected up and over the goal.
Chapman then took full control as they scored their third penalty for a 3-1 advantage. This forced Connor Claborn (Santa Clarita, CA) to try and extend the shootout, which he did calmly.
With the lead, the Pantehrs converted their fifth and decisive attempt to advance to the SCIAC Tournament final 4-2.
Statistically, Redlands dominated the game by holding a 20-7 shot advantage, a 12-3 shot on goal edge, 10-2 on corner kicks, and drawing eight more fouls (16-8).
Despite these advantages, there were really only three great looks offensively and they were only able to convert on one of them, while the Panthers found the back of the net on their one true look.
Despite not advancing in the SCIAC Tournament, the Bulldogs still have a chance at an at-large bid into the NCAA Division III National Championships, but with back-to-back games against lower-ranking teams without a win, they will need help to qualify.
