LA JOLLA – The Chico State men’s soccer team had scored the go-ahead goal in the 87th minute of Friday’s match with UC San Diego, and was just 2:34 away from posting a big road victory. But the host Tritons saw to it that the Wildcats left town empty handed, tying the match with 1:28 left in regulation, then knocking home the game-winner 9:10 into overtime to complete a come-from-behind 3-2 win over the No. 14 ’Cats at Tritons Soccer Stadium.
Friday’s loss dropped Chico State to 9-4-0 on the season and 7-4-0 in the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA); the ’Cats North Division lead shrinking to just one point over second place Cal State Stanislaus. UC San Diego, now 5-0-2 in its last seven matches, improved to 5-4-4 overall and 5-3-3 in conference play.
Four of the match’s five goals came in a wild second half of action. UC San Diego went out in front in the 45th minute when James Kukura jumped on a deflected kick in front of the Chico State net and scored on the rebound to give the Tritons a 1-0 lead. Ferid Celosmanovic scored the first of his two Chico State goals in the 62nd minute, evening up the contest when he grabbed a wayward clearance in front of UC San Diego’s goal and booted the ball into the top of the net to even things up at 1-1.
Celosmanovic struck again in the 87th minute, using some impressive dribbling to cut the ball back to his left foot and then firing a shot into the top of the Tritons net, just under the crossbar to put the Wildcats on top 2-1. Chico State looked like it had the match put away, but at the 88:32 mark UC San Diego’s David Bakal took a pass from Cory Wolfrom and sailed a header past Wildcat goalkeeper James Stroud to knot up the score at two apiece and force overtime.
Chico State was unable to get off a shot in the extra period, and UC San Diego’s attempt to win it in the 94th was thwarted when Stroud saved a shot by Adam Zernik. But at the 99:10 mark the Tritons would not be denied, as Kukura knocked home a rebound off a Zernik free kick to give UC San Diego the 3-2 victory.
The Wildcats outshot the Tritons 16-11 on the night, with Chico State also holding a 10-7 edge in corner kicks.
BOX SCORE
The Wildcats will be in the Bay Area Sunday, as they take on Cal State East Bay in Hayward. The match is scheduled for 2 p.m.
