Creighton University
Cal State Northridge
Gotsmanov Delivers PK Winner as Men's Soccer Tops Northridge In Double Overtime
10/1/2008 9:15:00 PM | Men's Soccer
OMAHA, Neb. - Andrei Gotsmanov's penalty kick with 5:02 left in double overtime lifted the fifth-ranked Creighton men's soccer team to a 1-0 win over Cal State Northridge Wednesday night at Morrison Stadium. The Bluejays improved to 7-1-0 with the victory, while the Matadors evened their record at 4-4-1.
The host Bluejays outshot Northridge 8-1 in the second half and 19-6 for the match, but were unable to find the back of the net despite numerous chances until the 105th minute.
Gotsmanov's team-leading fourth goal of the fall was set up when Ethan Finlay was taken down in the box by Northridge defender Jeremy Hohn with 5:02 left. The tally was Gotsmanov's first game-winner of the season and the second of his Bluejay career.
"I thought the second half was some of the best soccer we have played this year," said head coach Bob Warming after CU's first overtime match of the season. "We were able to get around them well in the second half after having problems with teams that have defended deep like they do, and we were dangerous after halftime. They are so well organized and well coached, there is no question that they are an up-and-coming team nationally."
Until scoring, CU's best opportunity came in the 60th minute when Kris Clark's one-timer from the top of the box hit off the left post. Three minutes later Greg Jordan dribbled around the Matador defense, only to be denied when Kevin Guppy dove to his left for a sprawling save. Guppy also had a diving save with 16:30 left when he deflected a header by Tucker Sindlinger wide, then later made a diving save of a Kyle Deremer header off a Gotsmanov free kick with six minutes to go.
Northridge's best chance of regulation came in the 82nd minute when Hohn and Ruben Rodriguez fed an open Dylan Riley in the box, but Riley was called for being offsides. It was the seventh offside of the match for the Matadors. Rodriguez also had an excellent chance from the top of the box with 2:20 left in the first overtime, but CU goalkeeper Brian Holt came off of his line and made a nifty slide to deflect the scoring chance near the top of the box.
Holt made four saves for Creighton on the night while extending his scoreless streak to 449:06, the fifth-longest streak in school history. Holt and the CU defense have now logged four straight shutouts and pitched six shutouts in eight matches this season. Guppy had four saves in net for Northridge.
Creighton returns to action on Saturday with a 7 pm road contest at 11th-ranked Saint Louis (4-0-4).
NOTES: Gotsmanov has now attempted and converted two penalty kicks in his career at Creighton, while the PK was the second attempted and converted by the Jays this year (Byron Dacy) ... The match was televised statewide on NET and nationwide on CBS College Sports TV ...Cal State Northridge was ranked 10th in the NSCAA Far West Regional poll, while Creighton is No. 1 in the Midwest Region ...The match was Creighton's first overtime match of the season after a school-record five tie games last fall ...This was the first ever meeting between the schools.
