Controversial call leads to Sac State tie.
It was a roller coaster ride of a day for UC Davis and Sacramento State as the Aggies and Hornets battled it out in a conference thriller. The long awaited rivalry game concluded in a surprising tie after a controversial call late in double overtime.
It was a comfortable day at the Aggie Soccer Field as a good turnout of fans for both sides sparked excitement from the players. The stakes were high, with both teams eager to add wins to their conference totals. After a rather rough start early in the season, UC Davis turned things around in time for conference matches and sat at a 3-1-1 record. The Hornets had battled hard and held a 2-3-0 Big West record.
The first half of the game was controlled by the Aggies, as their strong offensive outputs allowed them to strike first. Sophomore midfielder Miguel Acevedo scored his first career goal after fighting for a ricochet shot. This goal, combined with the brick wall that was the defensive line, gave UC Davis hope that Acevedo’s shot would be the only point necessary to win the game. After scoring two goals in the previous win against Cal Poly, freshman defender Roy Boateng contributed his strength to the defensive end against the Hornets. Boateng’s ability to run Sacramento State players down blind alleys, deflect dangerous through balls and clear the ball away gave UC Davis serious relief.
Despite a strong first half by UC Davis, Sacramento State controlled the second 45 minutes. It was an offensive onslaught by the Hornets for most of the second half, and a few minutes after halftime Sacramento State executed a beautiful cross pass that found its way into the net. After this goal, the Hornets were unable to convert many additional opportunities and regulation time ended in a draw.
An uneventful first period of overtime kept the game level at 1-1, as a few pot shots and failed attempts kept the draw alive. The second half was a period of much controversy for both teams. A deflection by a Sacramento State player led to a UC Davis throw in. Sophomore defender Greg Salazar took responsibility for the throw and launched a long ball into the penalty box. Senior defender Lucas Mohageg was there to receive it and propelled a pretty header into the back of the net, and the game was thought to be won by the UC Davis team and their fans. Unfortunately, a late whistle by the line referee indicated that Mohageg was offside during the throw-in.
The rules of soccer clearly dictate that there are no offside offences during a throw-in, meaning that UC Davis’ foul was unfounded. Nonetheless, the referees made their decision and the game went on.
Despite the last-minute pressures from the Aggie offense, the game ended in a draw. UC Davis is now 3-1-2 in conference play, and the Hornets are 2-3-1. The Aggies will head to UC Santa Barbara for their next conference matchup on Wednesday.
