Men's Soccer Ties Compton 2-2, Advance on PKs

by Cerwin D Haynes

(photos by Chris Nunez)

Coming into today's South Coast Conference Tournament 7/10-seed matchup against Compton College, East LA College Men's Soccer had yet celebrate a win at Weingart this season. Tonight was the first of two chances to do so since the seventh-seeded Huskies hosted today and will host again Tuesday. Carrying a 2-1 lead into the final seconds of the game, it looked as the men were about to lock down that elusive first home win.

Compton, however, had one last-second trick up their sleeve.

The Tartars were awarded a free kick off the right side with the game in waning moments of penalty minutes. Sensing the situation, Compton moved their goalkeeper Anthony Pina out from the net to the attacking line for the man advantage. Bryan Garcia Ortega would kick the ball in, and...

Incredibly, Ortega's kick to the net somehow found enough space inside the right post and beat the outstreched arm of Huskies GK Jonathan Ortiz. Tartars tied the game at 2 seconds before the refs whistled the end of regulation. The game ended in a tie, yet one team still needed to advance. A PK shootout would follow, with visiting Compton to take first turn.

The shootout was tied with ELAC down to their fifth and final kicker, Juan Macias.

His kick beats GK Anthony Pina and the ball finds the back right corner of the net. And the Huskies advance to host LA Harbor on Tuesday, November 9 in the Seventh Place final.

HUSKY BITS:

• Tonight's game pitted two of the lowest-scoring teams in the SCC against each other. Coming into this game, ELAC had 25 goals in 20 games while Compton scored 13 goals in 18 contests.
• ELAC would score on a PK by Ramiro Hermida in the second half to take the 2-1 lead they came within seconds of holding on to:
  

UP NEXT:

• Huskies will host the Seahawks of LA Harbor on Tuesday at 5pm to determine the SCC seventh-place finisher. It will be the final game of the season for both teams.