Dusan Game Winner 2018
Jonathan Potter
1
Cal Baptist CBU (5-3-1)
2
Winner UCR UCR (1-7-1)
Cal Baptist CBU
(5-3-1)
1
Final
2
UCR UCR
(1-7-1)
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 OT 1 F
Cal Baptist CBU 0 1 0 1
UCR UCR 0 1 1 2

Game Recap: Men's Soccer |

Men’s Soccer Topples Cal Baptist in Overtime, 2-1, to Win the First Edition of the “Crosstown Showdown”

RIVERSIDE, Calif. — The University of California, Riverside Men's Soccer Team defeated the California Baptist University Lancers, 2-1 in overtime in front of a highly energetic and enthusiastic capacity crowd at UCR Stadium on Saturday night, September 22, to emerge victorious in the first edition of Riverside's "Crosstown Showdown." 

Both teams fought hard throughout the evening in what proved to be a very physical and spirited match that would need more than the 90 minutes of regulation time allotted to determine the victor. Through nine plus minutes of overtime, the Highlanders attacked relentlessly. Then, in the 110th minute, senior Dusan Keca found himself in position to give his teammates the opportunity to celebrate at home. Embracing the opportunity in front of him, Keca delivered a crushing blow to the Lancers when he punched in a penalty kick past the CBU goal keeper and into the left corner of the net, lifting the Highlanders to victory.

Commenting on his team's win in the Crosstown Showdown, Head Coach Tim Cupello said, "I'm extremely proud of our team tonight. We got the result we were looking for, but first and foremost it's just amazing for our community to have two Division I programs here that are playing at a high level. It's really exciting for our fans, the city of Riverside, and the Inland Empire. This is going to be a fun environment for years to come."

The first meeting between the Highlanders and Lancers was deadlocked through the first half of play, as CBU put up seven shots, but could not break UCR's back line. Junior goalkeeper Edwyn Gutierrez made his presence known allowing just one goal and notching six saves.

"Defense has been a focus of ours all week in training so it was great to see the guys show growth from the past few games," Cupello added. "We really applied all of the principles we have been working on tonight and it gave us a chance to win."

The tie wasn't broken until half-way through the second period when CBU took a 1-0 lead with a goal in the 70th minute. But the feisty Highlanders were quick to respond, scoring a goal of their own just three minutes later to tie the match when freshman forward Daniel Castenada took a ball from sophomore Daniel Aguirre and blasted it through the net from 20 yards out for his first score of the season. The match would remain deadlocked at 1-1 before heading into overtime.

Then, in the 107th minute of the match, the Highlanders were forced to play down a man as senior Alan Alcantara picked up his second yellow card on an attempt to break up a play. This adversity would not shake UCR's confidence and the Highlanders stuck to the game plan. Just three minutes later, the Lancers committed a foul deep in their own territory to setup the penalty kick where senior defender Keca would step into the box and deliver UC Riverside its first win of the season and a 1-0 mark in the Crosstown Showdown against CBU.
 
"It's important to learn from things you did well and thing you need to improve," Cupello explained. "We will continue to get better as we have every day this season, and look forward to taking this momentum into Big West play soon."

The Highlanders will hit the road this weekend as they wrap up the non-conference season at San Diego this Friday.