Sept. 15, 2007
The Stanford men's soccer team (1-1-2) played to a 1-1 tie against No. 6 Santa Clara (3-1-1) in the first game of the Bay Area Classic Friday evening. The Cardinal struck first as they scored late in the second half, but the Broncos managed to punch one in just before time expired to even the contest.
Senior Scott Bolkan recorded his team-leading third goal of the season, while freshman Bobby Warshaw recorded his first collegiate assist to help Stanford earn the 1-1 tie. Senior goalkeeper Andrew Kartunen played all 110 minutes of the game and recorded eight saves on the night.
Both teams had their chances to score in the first half as they combined for 11 shots and nine corner kicks, but were unable to capitalize on those opportunities. The Cardinal offensive attackwas led by junior Tom Montgomery in the first half, who attempted three of his teams four shots. He first fired a shot on goal at the 19:00 minute mark, but Santa Clara goalkeeper Joseph Buttitta was there to make the save. The next attempt was blocked by a defender, while the third shot sailed high over the cross bar. Santa Clara managed three shots on goal in the first half, all of which were tracked down by Kartunen to keep the game knotted at zero.
The second half was looking to be another defensive battle as the first 11 shots failed to reach the back of the net. Warshaw got things started for Stanford as he fired a shot on goal at the 54:50 minute mark, but Buttitta was in position once again for the save. Kartunen continued his stellar performance as he saved three more shots from the Santa Clara offense. Just when it seemed like the game was heading for a 0-0 overtime score, Warshaw lobbed a free kick into the Santa Clara box allowing Bolkan to head it into the net with 4:03 left on the clock, giving the Cardinal a 1-0 advantage. The lead didn't last long however, as Peter Lowry of Santa Clara beat the goalkeeper on a free kick, sending the ball to the lower corner of the far post with :40 seconds left on the clock to tie the game at one apiece.
The game moved to overtime where Santa Clara was on the attack most of both the sudden death periods, recording four shots compared to zero for Stanford. The Cardinal defense remained strong however, as it had been the entire night. Kartunen made the final save of the night at the 107:50 mark, preserving the 1-1 tie.
Stanford returns home on Sunday, September 16, at 7:00 p.m. as they take on San Francisco in the final game of the Bay Area Classic.