Men's Soccer Outlasts No. 10 Marymount in Shootout
Delray Beach, FL - It was a battle of attrition in the Hastings College second round match against Marymount California as both teams battled to a 2-2 tie before the Broncos advanced 5-4 on penalty kicks.
It was a breezy afternoon on the pitch but that really didn't affect the attack of either side.
Hastings started the game going into the breeze and didn't take long to strike as Daniel Linstead (SO/Canberra, Australia) picked up a through ball off the foot of Marc Tautz (JR/Limburg, Germany) and guided it into the back of the net in the 9th minute for the early 1-0 lead.
Just ten minutes later, Marymount would have an answer from a set piece in the 19th minute when Enrique Amador hit his shot around the wall and off the right post into the goal to tie the game 1-1.
Head Coach Aaron Champenoy knew coming in that set pieces could be what keeps the Mariners in this game, "We talked about having to be smart and don't give up set pieces and that was there only chance to stay with us. We gave up a set pice that they finished." Champenoy said.
Daniel Whitehall (SO/Warrington, England) would have a few chances later in the first half but would be turned away by Mariner keeper Alejandro Rodriquez as the score would remain 1-1 into the second half.
It seemed with the wind at the Broncos back, possession became more consistant for HC and the opportunites continued to present itself but would be unable to finish until the 65th minute.
This is where Tautz finished the original Whitehall shot into the back of an open net to take the 2-1 lead.
But once again Hastings would be done in by a set piece late in the second half.
"We were doing everything right and when we got the second gold we were dominating with exception of the set piece goal and that was the difference," Champenoy said.
This set piece goal came from a Kareem Salem cross that found Kevin Fredricksson as he put it away for the equalizer at 2-2 in the 84th minute.
Even though Hastings held an 18-to-9 advantage in shots, the game would eventually make its way to penalty kicks with a scoreless two overtime periods.
In what many would call the most exciting event in sports, this shootout would not disappoint.
Marymount would shoot first as Arturo Golembiewski made his shot followed by Whitehall matching him to make it 1-1.
Then Tor Trosten (FR/Tromso, Norway) matched Barack Moses to make it 2-2 and then the potential turning point happened when Ronaldo Teixeira sent his shot over the bar opening the door to a potential Bronco victory. Tautz stepped up calmly and buried his shot to give the advantage to the Broncos at 3-2 with two more shooters to go.
Oriol Morengo and yes keeper Joe White (JR/London, England) calmly made their shots to make it 4-3 and then Armador made his to tie it 4-4 with HC having one more opportunity to win the game.
Up stepped true freshman Brayant Toro (FR/Cali, Colombia) and he left now doubt fooling the keeper and sending the Broncos into a frenzy with the 5-4 penalty kick victory to advance.
"In a shootout, all you need is a save or a miss and when they missed, Tautz has been one of our most consistant players giving us the lead at 3-2 and then it was a relief after Toro scored and now it was time to get a cool down, a light workout and get prepared for tomorrow," Champenoy said with some exhaustion.
Hastings now advances to take on West Virginia Tech Wednesday Nov. 30 with kick-off set for 10:00 a.m. CDT in Delray Beach, FL.
"We start thinking about shootout before the second overtime and we have about eight guys we like and of course we want Whitehall going first and planned on Joe White going fourth and maybe surprisingly is having a freshman kick fifth," Champenoy continued. "Toro came up and said give me a shot and I will make it. That takes a lot of guts for a freshman to say it and then back it up."
Link to the Bracket
Below is Toro netting the game winner in the shootout and the celebration to follow
