SEATTLE – Sophomore Arda Bulut scored his first career goal late in the second overtime and No. 10 Stanford kept pace atop the Pac-12 table with a 3-2 victory at Washington on Sunday afternoon.
Stanford (7-2-3, 4-1-0), which avoided back-to-back losses in the same season for the first time since 2012, is tied with UCLA (8-4-0, 4-1-0) for first at the halfway point of the conference schedule. The Cardinal has now won its last three meetings against the Huskies (7-6-0, 2-3-0) in Seattle, something it hadn't done since 2000-02.
"That was an immense performance by the team on the road after a tough result on Thursday," head coach Jeremy Gunn said. "I thought both teams absolutely left it all out on the pitch today in what was a really tough, competitive game."
Stanford was forced to come from behind after giving up an early goal, but equalized early in the second half and then went ahead on a Tanner Beason penalty kick in the 78th minute. It appeared as if the Cardinal would win in regulation until Corban Anderson converted from the spot for UW with under four minutes to go, which ultimately set up Bulut's overtime heroics.
Bulut instigated the defining sequence himself when he drew a foul on Washington's Luke Hauswirth on the right side while battling for possession. Derek Waldeck sent the ensuing free kick into the box, which the Huskies headed away, but were unable to completely remove from danger.
Ryan Ludwick tracked down the loose ball and chipped it over the top to the left corner for Collin Liberty. Liberty raced onto it at the endline to keep it in play and knocked it back to Charlie Wehan. Wehan sent in a cross in with his left, Jack O'Brien flicked his header at the top of the box, the ball took one bounce and Bulut smacked it with his left to the far post to send the Cardinal into a frenzy.
Win » ??#GoStanford pic.twitter.com/apymSoxjWd
— Stanford Men's Soccer (@StanfordMSoccer) October 15, 2018
"I'm thrilled for Arda to score his first college goal," Gunn added. "He's been working tremendously hard and been fantastic in training, but obviously has been behind some great players. For both he and Jack to come into the game and make such valuable contributions was absolutely fantastic. That just allows the squad to go from strength to strength."
The four-time defending Pac-12 champions are right in the thick of it with five game to go, tied with the Bruins on 12 points and three clear of third-place Oregon State. Despite its earlier loss at the Beavers on Thursday night, Stanford is 34-4-7 (.833) in conference since 2014. Stanford hosts OSU this coming Thursday night at 8 p.m.
Another look at @ardab99's game winner in Seattle. ??????#GoStanford pic.twitter.com/Kvh7KAvXAt
— Stanford Men's Soccer (@StanfordMSoccer) October 15, 2018
Stanford, pressuring for an early goal, had a shot from Zach Ryan go wide in the first minute and a back-heel flick from Amir Bashti saved off the line in the fourth. Washington took advantage of the missed chances and went up 1-0 in the 22nd when Dylan Teves finished a ball clipped in by Kasey French.
The Huskies nearly had a second goal on two occasions in the first half, but Andrew Thomas saved a 1v1 attempt from Blake Bodily in the 32nd minute and Tanner Beason dove to block a shot from Teves inside the box with less than a minute until intermission.
Waldeck was on the free kick that set up Stanford's equalizer in the 52nd after a long Charlie Wehan run ended with a UW foul. From nearly the same spot as the eventual winner, Waldeck's ball this time bounced through to Liberty at the back post. Liberty headed it back to the face of goal where Zach Ryan was waiting with a snap header past Bryce Logan.
"Both teams defended very well and made it difficult to build, which meant that the longer balls were the only option at times," Gunn said ."Our original plan A wasn't working, but when we switched to plan B it got us back into the game and certainly allowed us to start asking questions of the opposing back four."
Cole Grimsby was shown a yellow in the 78th minute for taking down Jack O'Brien in the box, which set up Beason's successful penalty. Liberty was whistled for nudging Quentin Pearson to the ground in the 87th to set up Anderson's penalty.
Stanford is now 66-0-6 (.958) when scoring two or more goals under Jeremy Gunn.