No. 5 UCLA men’s soccer ties Oregon State with late-game goal
Freshman midfielder Gage Zerboni was able to score the equalizing goal in the 87th minute. The Bruins have had several late goals in recent weeks.
By Leonardo Villalobos
Oct. 21, 2013 12:17 a.m.
It’s a unique situation when a team can, at the same time, feel disappointed to have fallen short of victory and relieved to have avoided defeat.
Such was the case Friday afternoon for the No. 5 UCLA men’s soccer team, which played out a 1-1 draw against Pac-12 rival Oregon State.
Based on the number of chances created and possession of the ball, the Bruins (7-3-2, 2-1-1 Pac-12) certainly were not short on opportunities to add a few more goals to the scoreboard. But considering Oregon State (7-5-1, 0-3-1 Pac-12) found itself ahead on the scoreboard as late as the 87th minute, things could have ended much worse.
The Bruins were spared their fourth loss of the season by freshman midfielder Gage Zerboni, who was able to slot home a goal after a scramble in the box with less than two minutes to go in regulation. Oregon State had taken a lead in the 73rd minute, when a long ball over the top of the defense put Beaver forward Chance Bergen in the clear with only the Bruins’ keeper to beat.
The match highlighted multiple trends, both good and bad, that the Bruins have shown throughout the year.
Similar to last week against Cal, UCLA once again was unable to convert a dominating performance into a win. The Bruin players became visibly frustrated as the minutes ticked away and a goal still did not come. The frustration was multiplied when it was the Beavers who found the breakthrough before the Bruins ultimately found a goal of their own.
Overtime was more of the same, with the Bruins being unable to make the most of their chances despite having the lion’s share of possession.
However, that the team was able to score so late in regulation was symbolic of what has gone right for No. 5 UCLA this season: the Bruins have been able to come up with a clutch goal in the final minutes when they needed it most. Late goals in the last minutes of matches awarded UCLA wins over both San Diego State and Stanford.
The Bruins will have a chance to bounce back from two straight games without a win on Monday night against No. 3 Washington. Anything less than a win and the Bruins will find themselves with a lot of ground to make up in the Pac-12 championship race.
