UC Irvine
Cal Poly Splits Points with No. 8 UC Irvine
10/16/2010 12:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. – Junior goalkeeper Patrick McLain recorded five saves, including a draw-preserving stop with 22 seconds remaining on Saturday evening, as the Cal Poly men's soccer team finished in a scoreless tie against No. 8 UC Irvine at Alex G. Spanos Stadium.
Junior center back Patrick Sigler and freshmen Justin Hill and George Malki all placed shots on target for Cal Poly (4-5-3, 1-2-2), which produced its best home result against a ranked opponent since holding then-No. 3 UC Santa Barbara to a scoreless draw on Nov. 4, 2009. Big West Conference-leading UC Irvine, which outshot the Mustangs, 20-12, was held without a victory for just the third time in 13 matches this season.
"It's a point in the Big West race to secure a top-four seed for the conference tournament," said fifth-year head coach Paul Holocher, whose Mustangs recorded their 16th shutout at Spanos Stadium in three-plus seasons. "UC Irvine is a very good team and I felt we could have had three points. But, considering their quality, a point is a positive result."
The Mustangs needed 16 minutes to register their first shot attempt before quickly finding a rhythm. During the 20th minute, junior midfielder Evan Richter fired wide of UC Irvine's left post before a Sigler header eight minutes later was repelled by Anteater junior goalkeeper Andrew Fontein.
Held scoreless for just the second time this season, UC Irvine (10-1-2, 3-0-1) – which averages a Big West-best 2.3 goals per match – nearly poached a late strike in regulation. In the 74th minute, a dipping shot by sophomore midfielder Zach Olow skirted off the Mustang crossbar before Anteater junior midfielder Miguel Ibarra breached the Cal Poly defense in the 78th, only to be halted at point-black range by an onrushing McLain.
Cal Poly's best chance to snatch a late victory came during the 79th, but a Sigler header was caught near the left post by Fontein. In the eighth minute of overtime, Mustang junior midfielder Wes Feighner played a pass directly up the field to Hill who, after beating the UC Irvine defense, had his attempt stopped by Fontein.
McLain (above), meanwhile, kept his most aesthetic save for the dying seconds, launching his body horizontally and to the right to stop a rocketed attempt by UC Irvine senior midfielder Corey Attaway.
"It was a terrific save by Patrick as the ball was definitely headed for the upper corner," Holocher added. "He was in full extension and it was a world-class save."
Cal Poly was whistled offside on six occasions.
The Mustangs will enjoy their lengthiest hiatus of the regular season before hosting UC Davis on Sunday, Oct. 24. Match time at Spanos Stadium is scheduled for 1 p.m.
