Caution-Filled Frightfest Leads to Halloween Draw
October 31, 2015 | Men's Soccer
IRVINE, Calif. --- Men's soccer pushed through a 110-minute, 55-foul, 10-caution match Halloween night in a spooky Anteater Stadium that saw no goals between UC Irvine and CSUN.
The match turned in the 89th minute as a second yellow card was issued to Jack Birkenbeuel on a ball in the box putting Trevor Morley at the penalty spot against fourth-year keeper Elliot Farmer.
"I wasn't thinking much about the taker, I was just thinking I've got to get low and to the side."
Farmer did just that and leapt to his right stopping the attempt and sending the match to overtime with UC Irvine (5-10-4, 3-5-2) down to 10 men.
That would be the final shot that CSUN (8-7-3, 4-4-2) would get as the 'Eaters pushed forward in the extra periods.
UCI had a pair of chances in the first frame starting with an Eduardo Calzada sharp-angle shot that slipped through the keeper, but he jumped on it before crossing the line. Randall McDermott almost finished the match off as the period ended heading a ball just high of the bar.
The second overtime saw one real chance in the 104th minute. Mats Bjurman stepped up for a set piece from 25 yards out, and cracked it mid-frame that Matador keeper Adam Hobbs tipped off the bar and out for one of his nine saves to preserve the shutout and finish the match at 0-0.
UCI put up 17 shots with nine on frame on the evening. Its best chance in regulation was a redirected shot from Calzada in the 37th minute. His ground shot nicked a defender and change direction ever-so-slightly making Hobbs, already diving to save it, have to reach back and get a hand on it to keep it out for a phenomenal effort.
Farmer had five saves of his own along with the PK to capture his second career shutout. His best came in the 63rd minute after a corner was headed to him and knocked aside. The clearance didn't get far, and the rebound attempt by Gabe Robinson was volleyed hard toward the far post that Farmer would knocked aside full extension.
"It's a team effort, I made one save, but those guys did 110 minutes of running," voiced a smiling Elliot Farmer. "I'm just happy to get the draw. My family was here, and they're from New Mexico, so to have them out here to see me play and see that save was great."
The 'Eaters closed out their fourth draw on the season, all of which have seen UCI go a man down. Each squad saw five yellow cards handed out in a match that saw 55 fouls including 36 alone, 19 to CSUN and 17 to UCI, in the second half.
The result favored CSUN as it locked up second place in the Big West South ensuring they host the first round of the Big West Tournament. UC Irvine finishes in third place, and will travel to Cal Poly to open the Big West Tournament on Saturday, Nov. 7, with the game time still to be determined.
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