UC Santa Cruz Nips Linfield, 2-1
Moi Diaz (Fr., McMinnville, Ore.) supplied the lone goal, the third of his career, for the Wildcats.
(McMINNVILLE, Ore.) — UC-Santa Cruz senior Brent Godlewski broke a stalemate in the 73rd minute to give the Banana Slugs a 2-1 victory and spoil Linfield's preseason finale on a toasty Tuesday afternoon at the Linfield soccer field.
With the victory, the visitors from California, who compete as an independent NCAA Division III institution, compiled a 4-1 record against Northwest Conference opponents and improved to 5-2-1 on the year.
Linfield, meanwhile, suffered its second straight defeat and saw its record even to 2-2. Moi Diaz (Fr., McMinnville, Ore.) supplied the lone goal, the third of his career, for the Wildcats.
UC-Santa Cruz dominated possession early, testing Jack O'Keefe early and often. Linfield's freshman keeper denied Conrad Rowling and Zach Hummel within the first eight minutes, but the Banana Slugs kept pressing.
The visitors' early aggression paid off in the ninth minute when Neal Hetzel looped in a goal from the right corner of the box to the far netting, putting the Slugs ahead 1-0.
On perhaps its third push of the match, Linfield answered. Taking possession at midfield, Brian DeGrandmont (So., Portland, Ore.) blitzed up the right side of the pitch. When UC-Santa Cruz keeper David Vivian came out to break up the play, DeGrandmont quickly adjusted, shooting the ball across the penalty box to Diaz, who one-touched the match-tying score into the dead center of the net from just a few yards out.
Action slowed down until about five minutes before the first-half buzzer, when the Wildcats were whistled for a foul in the box. Rowling lined up for the free attempt and went for the left post, but O'Keefe was there for his second huge penalty save of the season, keeping the score knotted at one goal apiece headed into the break.
A physical match prevented either team from pulling ahead until late in the second period. Godlewski had a one-on-one opportunity on the left edge of the box and took a chance, lofting the ball up and over his defender and Wildcat keeper Grant Loriaux (Sr., West Linn, Ore.) from about 19 yards out for what proved to be the game winner in the 73rd minute.
NEXT:
Linfield opens the Northwest Conference season with its longest road trip of the year, traveling to eastern Washington for matches against Whitworth and Whitman, in order. Match time against the Pirates is set for 2:30 p.m. Saturday afternoon.
Source: Linfield Athletics
