Box Score LOS ANGELES — The Occidental College men's soccer team played some of its best soccer of the season against Redlands on Saturday.
But after playing the second-place Bulldogs even for nearly 110 minutes, Tom Elsea finished off a free ball in the Oxy box with 8.5 seconds left in second overtime, beating the Tigers 1-0 in heartbreaking fashion.
Before that last-second dagger, the game was played about as evenly as possible.
Each team had about the same nu.mber of chances with the Tigers totaling 15 shots and the Bulldogs getting off 14
Alessandro Carotenuto had the first good chance of the game in the 8th minute. The senior midfielder cracked a right-footed volley from the top of the box that missed just wide left.
The Bulldogs flirted with the goal with back-to-back corner kicks in the 19th minute. Oxy goalkeeper Tristan Cooper made a nice punch-out and the Tigers blocked a shot from outside of the box to foil the second corner kick opportunity.
The Bulldogs' best chance of the half came off a set piece. Evan Keny-Guyer cleaned up a loose ball in the box and missed a shot off of the cross bar.
Oxy countered with an opportunity of its own on a free kick. Alex Ayala played a solid ball to the back post that Marcus Brandford headed wide right.
In the second half, Redlands' Matt Speegle nearly headed in a cross from Charles Izydorek in the 73rd minute, but Cooper made a nice diving save.
Will Walker had the Bulldogs' best opportunity of the second half, but he missed a shot from the six-yard line wide left.
Grayson Burdon nearly ended the game with less than one minute left in the first overtime. The freshman forward turned with his back to the goal and fired a shot that was deflected out of bounds.
Alex Ayala had his chance two minutes into the second OT. The junior found himself wide open at the back post only to miss his left-footed shot to the right.
Oxy returns to action on Monday at Chapman at 7 p.m.
