TULSA, Okla. – Santa Clara men's soccer had its three-game winning streak snapped by Tulsa in overtime on Monday night at the Hurricane Soccer and Track Stadium. In the 2-1 defeat, the Broncos fell behind early, responded to tie the game later in the first half but gave up the deciding goal five minutes into extra time.
"If you look at the road trip as a whole, you would've said that the game that we deserved to win was this one," head coach Cameron Rast said. "At the worst, I thought we probably deserved a draw but these things happen. Overall, this weekend provided a glimmer of what we're capable of and a challenge for us as we move forward."
In Santa Clara's (4-3) first overtime game of the season, Tulsa's (3-2-2) Ray Saari played a long through ball to Matthew Puig who got behind the Bronco defense. As sophomore goalkeeper Dakota Havlick came off his line to challenge Puig, the attacker just got a touch on the ball to send it around Havlick and the ball rolled into the side of the goal. This was the first time the Broncos surrendered more than one goal in a single game and is just the fifth goal allowed in seven games.
The Broncos fell behind at the 12:05 mark of the first half when they turned the ball over in a dangerous spot outside the 18-yard box. Tulsa's Rollie Rocha maneuvered his way to the edge of the box on the right wing and fired a low shot that curled around sophomore goalkeeper Dakota Havlick and into the side netting at the far post.
"The first goal was really unlucky," Rast said. "We were there to make the play and we didn't make it. I'll have to look at the film but it looked like it deflected off one defender, through the legs of the other and around Dakota (Havlick) into the net."
Redshirt sophomore Jonathan Jarrett scored the equalizer for SCU at the 35:11 mark. A bouncing ball from senior James Huffer was not settled by the Tulsa defense and Jarrett used his speed to run by the defenders, gain possession and then chip the ball into the top corner of the goal. It was Jarrett's first goal of the season and the second of his career. Huffer has now assisted on the last two goals for the Broncos.
THE EQUALIZER! Jonathan Jarrett puts on the jets to capitalize on a defensive mishap for Tulsa then chipped the ball into the side net! pic.twitter.com/UZMXwNO7KN
— SCU Men's Soccer (@SCUBroncoSoccer) September 20, 2016
"The whole weekend I was very happy with Jonathan," Rast said. "He gave us great energy and a lot of work and then obviously the goal tonight, which is great. Our two center forwards, him and Carlos (Delgadillo), each scored a goal on the trip which is a good thing."
Rast felt confident that the team would find a way to pull it out but in the end missed chances proved to be costly.
"It just felt like it was a matter of time before we scored, "Rast said. "We just weren't as clinical as we needed to be. We didn't get shots off quick enough or we didn't strike them right."
After just one home game (two neutral) through the first seven, Rast has been pleased with how the team has performed throughout the season.
"The big piece in looking at where we are right now, is for 20 out of the last 30 days we've been on the road," Rast said. "That's asking a lot out of these guys. They've traveled and competed and the result tonight wasn't what we wanted but they competed hard."
The Broncos will have some extra rest before returning to action at the friendly confines of Stevens Stadium on Sept. 28 against San Jose State.
