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MEN'S SOCCER KNOCKS OFF RIVAL UC DAVIS, 3-2, IN DOUBLE OVERTIME
9/23/2011
Casey Bernard scored in overtime to give the Hornets a 3-2 win at UC Davis.
The Hornets improve to 4-2-1 with the win while the Aggies slide to 2-4-2.
With less than seven minutes left in the second overtime period, Sacramento State lined up for a corner kick. Max Alvarez lofted the corner into the box and after a header was blocked away, Chris Bettencourt corralled the lose ball and found Bernard just six yards away from the net. Bernard used a quick one-touch shot to the near post that beat UC Davis keeper Omar Zeenni for the game-winning goal.
UC Davis and Zeenni had limited seven opponenets to just five total goals before the Hornets were able to strike for three scores on Friday night.
The Aggies struck first with an early goal in the 13th minute. After a corner kick, Lance Patterson fired a shot that bounced off the post and Elliott Hord was there to put the ball in the back of the net off the rebound.
Adam Bettencourt answered 13 minutes later when he collected a pass at the top of the 18-yard box and lined a shot to the near post.
The two teams were tied in the second half until Alvarez scored his third goal of the season on a beautiful shot high and across the box to the far post.
The lead lasted until the 87th minute when Matt Wiesenfarth tied up the game with a shot to the top near corner. The Hornets had allowed a goal in the 89th minute in their last match at Saint Mary's en route to a 1-1 draw and it looked like that would be their fate once again until Bernard led the Hornets to victory.
The win gave the Hornets their first five points in the Causeway Cup after UC Davis won in both women's soccer and volleyball to start the season. The Aggies now lead 15-5 through three events.
Sacramento State had a 16-13 edge in shots while UC Davis had a 7-4 advantage in corner kicks. The rivalry game was predictably chippy, as UC Davis was whistled for 27 fouls compared to 11 for Sacramento State. There was a combined seven yellow cards issued.
Sacramento State's offense was right on par as head coach Michael Linenberger's squad entered the game ranked No. 4 in the NCAA, averaging three goals a game.
It was a non-conference victory for the Hornets this season but that will change next year when the men's soccer program joins the Big West Conference. Sacramento State is playing its 20th and final season in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation.
Sacramento State will meet another future Big West Conference foe on Sunday when the Hornets play at UC Santa Barbara.
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