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Thousand Oaks, California. The Cal Lutheran Men's Soccer team had to overcome a 67th minute goal by University of La Verne Leopards, to tie the game in the 88th minute and force the game into overtime. Both teams were playing excellent defense throughout the first half of the match. ULV Leopards and CLU Kingsmen shared the possession in the first half equally. However, Kingsmen style of play, which is controlling possession of the ball, was close to non-existence during the first half. Both teams struggled with holding possession while trying to generate scoring opportunities. The few shots taken on goal by either team were met by outstanding goalkeeping efforts.
The Kingsmen, who had not been able to control offensive possession of the ball during the first half, came into the second half and started to take on the offensive possession. However, outstanding defensive effort by ULV, would keep the score at a stalemate.
In the 67th minute, the Kingsmen turned over the ball on their defensive side, and James Coe recovered possession and converted for the ULV Leopards their only goal of the match.
The game picked up pace, and the Kingsmen kept on pressing and moving their defensive lines higher to prevent the leopards from taking over possession. The Kingsmen would start to move the ball from side to side, making their opponents take a defensive stand while trying to knock them out with a counterattack. Rodrigo Martinez was part of a questionable offside call that erased what could have been the second goal for the leopards.
Despite the defensive efforts by the Leopards, the Kingsmen kept on with their pressure defense and offensive possession of the ball. With minutes left in the game, Christian Gonzalez drove a strong laser shot on goal that left the Leopards goalkeeper with no other option but to deflect the shot and Erick Mejia took advantage of the opportunity and tied the game that sent the Kingsmen fans into a frenzy.
At the end of regulation, the game was tied 1-1 and sent the game to overtime. The winner to be determine by a golden goal. The Kingsmen would continue their offensive control of the ball and would take numerous shots on target just to be denied by goalkeeper Brandon Castro for the Leopards.
The second half of overtime, the Leopards conceded a penalty kick and the Kingsmen’s Igor Lumbrano stepped up to take and convert the penalty shot winning the game for the Kingsmen 2-1.
Next game for the Kingsmen is Saturday Oct 9, 2021 at 7pm, they will host Claremont-M-S
Next game for the Leopards is at Redlands on Saturday Oct 9, 2021 at 7pm.
Photography done by: William Ortiz
Videos are courtesy of Cal Lutheran University, University of La Verne, and William Ortiz
Link for photo gallery is: https://www.amazon.com/photos/shared/TQxhVl2vQ9abtlgzMO03XQ.FC-_Vr9mZFgwJVQlQADIap?fbclid=IwAR0fR0XRd3HXd4X0Y9CC4idpbFJhbKAX1VsKpAopOLCfBewZNiBzV7zzD8A