Men Suffer Grueling 2-1 Loss in Double Overtime at #8 UCLA

Sunday, November 28

Los Angeles, Calif.

8:00 PM

Dartmouth College

UCLA

Men Suffer Grueling 2-1 Loss in Double Overtime at #8 UCLA

11/28/2010 11:45:00 PM | Men's Soccer

By: Dartmouth

Photos by Don Liebig

LOS ANGELES, Calif. — With just eight seconds remaining in the second overtime period, Eder Arreola scored the golden goal to allow host UCLA fend off the Dartmouth men's soccer team in the third round of the NCAA Tournament on Sunday evening. Arreola scored both Bruin goals in the contest — his second and third of the season — allowing eighth-ranked UCLA (16-4-1) to advance to the quarterfinals and move one step away from playing in the College Cup. The Big Green, who had won six straight including their first two games in the NCAA Tournament, had their season come to an end with a record of 12-7-1.

The game seemed destined to end with penalty kicks until Dartmouth deflected a ball out near its own bench with the clock winding down in the second overtime. UCLA had plenty of time to get off one last good run on goal, and Joe Sofia made sure he put a good throw into the box. Amidst the Big Green's mad scramble to clear the ball, somehow Arreola got enough of the ball to send it into the back of the net and bring a close to the exhilarating game.

“We are very disappointed we aren't the ones advancing to the quarterfinals,” said Dartmouth head coach Jeff Cook just minutes after the game. “This was a terrific soccer game, and the players left everything on the field. UCLA is as fine a team as we have played this year, and we proved ourselves worthy of the challenge. I take great pride in how well our team represented the program and the college.”

Both sides played at a fast pace throughout the game, and UCLA would answer Dartmouth offensive maneuvers with quick counterstrikes. The Big Green thought they had drawn first blood early in the game when Walker Linares heaved a throw-in caught a gust of wind and curled off the far post and into the goal. Since no player had touched the ball before it crossed the goal line, the goal was not allowed.

Although the Big Green controlled play in the first half, firing off 10 shots to just five for UCLA, the Bruins were the ones holding the 1-0 lead at the break. Arreola scored from the left side of the box nearly 26 minutes into the clash on a missile to the upper right of the goal after deft passes from Chandler Hoffman and Reed Williams.

Shortly after Daniel Keat put a spectacular shot on goal with a bicycle kick, only to have it stopped by Bruin keeper Brian Rowe, Dartmouth evened the count in the 60th minute. Like UCLA's game-winner, the Big Green score came off a long throw-in with Linares putting the play in motion. Keat headed the ball toward the goal, and after it bounced once was put away by Bryan Giudicelli.

The Bruins didn't take long to get scoring opportunities, putting a pair of solid shots on goal, only to have them rebuffed by Dartmouth keeper Lyman Missimer. Several more chances presented themselves to UCLA during regulation, but the Big Green defense continued to thwart every one.

In the first overtime period, UCLA fired off two shots, one of which came directly after Dartmouth coughed up the ball, causing a roar to rise briefly from the crowd. But the celebration quickly died down once it was realized that the shot hit the side of the net outside the goal.

Both sides booted two shots in the second overtime, but it was the Bruins' second that proved to be the difference.

UCLA finished the game with a slight 20-18 advantage in shots with six of those 20 going on goal. Missimer made four saves in goal for the Big Green, while Rowe handled six saves on Dartmouth's seven shots on goal.

UCLA will play in the quarterfinals this weekend at top-seeded Louisville (18-0-3) with the date and time still to be determined. The winner of that game will advance to the College Cup in Santa Barbara, Calif., on Dec. 10 and 12.