WASHINGTON – Amir Bashti equalized in the 88th minute, Stanford's defense came up big in decisive moments and the No. 10 Cardinal earned a 1-1 draw at Georgetown on Monday afternoon.
The result extended Stanford's unbeaten streak to 18 matches, the second-longest stretch in program history, and earned the Cardinal (0-0-3) a draw when such a finish was very much in doubt.
"I think today we were second best to a very, very good Georgetown team and yet we kept working, we kept pushing and we kept playing," head coach Jeremy Gunn said. "To come back and get a tie out of that game after being down was remarkable."
Stanford was forced to play from behind for the first time since last October 12 when the Hoyas' Ethan Lockner took a pass from Sean Zawadzki through two defenders and finished at the far post in the 65th. The goal was the result of consistent second-half pressure from Georgetown (2-1-1) and ended a long shutout streak for Stanford. It was the Cardinal's first goal allowed in its last 974:15 and the first goal it had surrendered from open play in 1,208:02.
Georgetown was on the front foot for long stretches of the match and got off 29 shots, including 10 on frame. It put up 15 in that department in the second half alone and seven in the first 20 minutes before Lochner's goal.
"It was unbelievably hot and humid and the conditions were really a big factor for us, which is not normally the case," Gunn added. "We were just a little easy to get through today and as a result their strikers and attacking players were very lively going at us, but our defenders were always just close enough to make the chances a little more difficult."
Temperatures at Shaw Field were in the mid-90's, but the humidity made it feel like triple digits, and water breaks were taken midway through each half.
Stanford bent, but didn't break and its ability to stay in the game was rewarded late in regulation when Logan Panchot intercepted an attempted clearance from Georgetown's Dylan Nealis in the 88th and sent it back into the center of the box and Amir Bashti. Bashti opened his hips and had a clean and calm finish to the far post for the Cardinal's first goal in 2018.
"Amir had a fantastic game and really came alive," Gunn said. "In very difficult conditions he went seeking the ball, allowed us to get back into it and was key in a lot of our attacking moments. I'm excited to see him get his first goal of the year and excited to see him play so well."
Goal one was a big one.#GoStanford pic.twitter.com/kiMHzAHLGO
— Stanford Men's Soccer (@StanfordMSoccer) September 3, 2018
Bashti's goal would have been a footnote in a large Hoya victory were it not for some incredible goalkeeping from Andrew Thomas and some massive work from Stanford's back four.
Thomas, who made a career-high seven saves in his third collegiate match, stoned Achara on two 1v1 situations. He first came off his line to stop the Nigerian forward in the 19th minute and did so again in the 96th to preserve the draw for Stanford.
Georgetown inserted fresh legs at the start of the second overtime, getting Zach Riviere his first action of the afternoon. Riviere nearly ended it in the 102nd when his rocket from the top right corner of the box to the far post was tipped over by a sprawling Thomas.
"Andrew and the back four certainly kept us in the game when we weren't at our best," Gunn commented "He was fantastic. Georgetown could have been out of sight, but what kept us in it were those last-ditch tackles and some great saves."
There were a couple of other nervy moments for Stanford, but its defenders cleared Hoya shots off the line in the 79th and 97th minutes.
The Cardinal will be back in the Bay Area for the remainder of its nonconference schedule after its two matches at Maryland and Georgetown. Stanford plays at San Francisco on Friday at 7 p.m. before a string of five straight at home.
"This was a fantastic trip," Gunn concluded. "To come and play two wonderful programs and to compete and play so well in so many moments shows what this group is capable of. Throughout both matches the group kept the great behavior that we want and expect out of our players – that incredible resiliency and desire to keep pushing."