From University of Chicago Athletics
After a series of near misses throughout the evening, the University of Chicago men's soccer team converted its best chance at the end with a game-winning penalty kick that gave the hosts a dramatic 1-0 overtime victory against Case Western Reserve University on Friday.
The Maroons (10-4-2 overall, 2-2-1 UAA) won their third-straight match, with a scoring margin of 9-0 in that streak. The Spartans fell to 12-3-1 overall and 2-2-1 in the University Athletic Association (UAA).
UChicago controlled all the action over the opening 20 minutes. Freshman forward Matthew Koh blazed past defenders with regularity, tracking down long balls through the air up the right wing. Koh recorded the opening three shots of the match, including a one-on-one opportunity with the goalie at the 10:45 mark. But his left-footed shot slid just right of the far post.
The chances kept coming as junior forward Brenton Desai hit the crossbar in the midst of absorbing contact in the 17th minute. Play began to even out shortly afterwards and the two teams went into the halftime break knotted at zeros. UChicago led shots 7-4 and earned four corners in the opening half.
Desai put a shot on goal three minutes into the second half and just missed high on a volley through traffic in the 54th minute. However, Case began to find its offensive flow and benefitted from several ill-advised fouls by the home side. The Spartans fired off six-straight shots at one point. Sophomore goalkeeper Hill Bonin was on the receiving end of a three-shot flurry in the 59th minute. Bonin was on the ground for all three stops right in front of the net, keeping his composure to knock away each attempt.
Freshman midfielder Max Lopez used nifty dribbling and passing to create offense for himself and the accompanying forwards on the offensive pushes. Case kept manufacturing more shots, but UChicago made the more dangerous forays into the box on multiple occasions. However, the Maroons were not able to get off clean shots in those instances.
The match turned chippy as both sides delivered hard fouls in the battle for possession. The Spartans earned a free kick from just outside the box with one minute left in regulation, but the shot curled just past the upper 90.
In the first overtime, UChicago caught a break when Case kicked the ball over its own end line to give the Maroons a corner kick. Koh received the short corner and raced into the box, where he was taken to the ground. The referee whistled the foul and awarded UChicago a penalty kick. Desai stepped up to the line for the fourth time this season and delivered an emphatic strike into the net to end the match 1-0 at the 92:02 mark. Desai owns the team lead with a career-best total of 10 goals this season.
Bonin made four saves and improved his ledger to 9-4-2. It also marked his fourth shutout of the year. The Maroons held a narrow 15-14 edge in shots (5-4 on goal) and also led corner kicks 6-2.