Sept. 4, 2007

Lutes Battle No. 10 UCSC into Overtime Before Losing 4-3

Box Score

McMINNVILLE, Ore. - Anthony Scarlett scored three goals, including the match winner in the second overtime, to lead No. 10-ranked UC Santa Cruz past Pacific Lutheran in a non-conference men's soccer match played Tuesday afternoon at Linfield College.

Scarlett, whose first two goals gave the Banana Slugs a 2-0 halftime lead, got to Matt Skenazy's cross and headed the ball past PLU freshman goalkeeper Daniel Mangum for the deciding score.

Scarlett knocked in a rebound of a blocked shot for the game's first goal at the 12:11 mark, and he used his speed to beat a defender to the end line and crack a shot past starting PLU keeper Andrew Croft at 19:22. Scarlett's game-winning goal came just 5:47 from the end of the second overtime period, but it took a goal by teammate Adam Smart just 35 seconds from the end of regulation to send the game into extra time.

That’s because the Lutes, trailing 2-0 at the intermission, came out and scored three goals in the first 4:35 of the second half. Jason Bjorgo started the goal flurry at the 46:47 mark, hitting a shot that eluded UCSC keeper Jared Wheeler. The Lutes knotted the score at 2-2 when Henrik Oiseth knocked a header past Wheeler, the tally coming at 48:45. Oiseth's header finished a play that started with a throw in from Derek Karamatic and continued with a header flicked on by Erik Gracey. Exactly 50 seconds later, the Lutes took a 3-2 lead when Mike Ferguson headed home Karamatic's cross from the right wing.

The Lutes nearly went ahead 4-2 partway through the period, but Wheeler tipped Andy Hyres’ dipping 35-yard drive over the goal. UCSC had a good chance to tie the game with about four minutes remaining but Mangum blocked a close-range shot by Harry Abraham. PLU had one more chance to take a two-goal lead, but Ferguson's shot with two minutes left hit the crossbar and bounced away. That set up the Banana Slugs' tying goal in the waning seconds of regulation. Smarte beat Mangum to a pass from Colin Ainsworth, and Smarte got just enough of the ball before the two collided to knock it toward the goal, where it bounced into the back of the net.

UCSC enjoyed a 21-14 shot advantage, forcing Croft and Mangum to split six saves between them. Wheeler came up with five saves for the Banana Slugs, who improved their record to 2-1. With the defeat, PLU falls to 0-3.

- PLU -