LATE GOAL THE DIFFERENCE IN LOSS TO REDLANDS
By Michael Wells Sports Information Director
LOS ANGELES – Oxy's John Richardson (Palo Alto) tied the game at one with his second goal of the season in the 58th minute and a mostly-even, scrappy match appeared to be headed for overtime.
But after a handful of yellow cards were handed out on one questionable play, Redlands' Charles Izydorek headed in a free kick from Nick Eary with 1 minute, 59 seconds remaining to edge the Occidental College men's soccer team 2-1 at Lower Field on Monday.
After Oxy's Will Pottenger took down Izydorek as he was headed for goal with just more than 2 minutes to play, Ben Grime (Batesburg-Leesville, S.C.), Pottenger and Izydorek were cautioned for their roles in a brief pushing and shoving match. On the ensuing Bulldogs' free kick, Eary played an almost perfect left-footed ball that found Izydorek's head at the back post for the game-winning goal.
Before then, the match was tied for nearly 30 minutes following Richardson's goal.
Jeffery Najjar (Santa Fe, N.M.) played an over-the-top ball from midfield, Richardson timed his run perfectly, beat Redlands'goalkeeper Andrea Silva to the pass at the edge of the 18-yard box and volleyed a shot into the far-left corner of the goal.
Peter Marsden headed in the Bulldogs' first goal in the 48th minute.
Matej Kustura nearly gave Redlands a 2-1 lead on a free kick from 25 yards out in the 77th minute, but his right-footed shot bounced off of the far post.
Oxy's Jack Day had a chance on a counter attack less than four minutes later. Grime left the ball for Day at the top of the box and Day blasted a slicing shot just wide right.
Both teams had a handful of opportunities in the first half.
Oxy's best chance was its first shot. Christian Buchmann (Singapore) found himself inside the 18 and hit a low line-drive on target that Silva saved.
Redlands' best chance, and maybe the first half's most exciting play, was when Tristan Cooper (Fremont, N.H.) made a diving finger-tip stop on AJ VanderStay's right-footed shot from 30 yards out. But the linesman's flag was up and the play technically didn't happen.
The Tigers are back on the road on Wednesday at first-place Claremont-Mudd-Scripps at 4 p.m. Oxy beat CMS 2-1 in the first round of SCIAC competition at Jack Kemp Stadium on Sept. 15.
