(Vallejo, CA) The Park University Gilbert men’s soccer team overcame an early deficit to defeat Cal Maritime 5-2 at Bodnar Field. The Buccaneers pick up their third win on California Pacific Conference play and sit at 3-3-2. Overall, they are 3-6-3.
Last season, Park Gilbert rolled Cal Maritime in Arizona by 12 goals. In soccer, this is similar to scoring 70 points in football or 25 runs in a baseball game. So, it would be understandable there might not be the same intensity coming out that you would see against a ranked opponent. The Keelhaulers quickly dispelled any notion this would be an easy win early as they scored the first two goals of the game in the first 15 minutes. This game was also much closer than the final score would indicate.
Trailing 2-0, the Buccaneers had to take stock of what had just happened and react accordingly. The Buccaneers also had to overcome the fact they had not scored a goal in three games and in five of their last six contests. The did just that answering in the 21st minute with a goal from Ashton Owen to cut the lead to 2-1. Then with 37 seconds left before halftime, the Buccaneers tied the game on a goal from Ilan Rodriguez-Roda, his third of the season. This was a momentum changer heading into the intermission.
Four minutes into the second half, Park Gilbert took the lead for good as Konstantin Papanikolaou scored the go ahead tally. Cal Maritime would take five of its six second half shots after the goal but only one would find the waiting hands of Park goalkeeper Zac Stephenson in the 66th minute. The Keelhaulers would only have one shot, which went wide left over the last 21 minutes of the game.
Rodriguez-Roda scored for the second time to give the Bucs an insurance goal in the 86thminute and Konstantinos Hinteregger put the icing on the cake with a final tally with 23 second left in the game.
Park Gilbert had 17 shots on the afternoon, with 11 on goal led by Rodriguez-Roda with four, while Owen and Liam Brag had three shots each.
Stephenson made two saves of the four shots on goal he faced for the afternoon.
The Bucs now have a week off as they return home to face Antelope Valley next Sunday, October 8 at 8 p.m. at Legacy Sports Park in Mesa, Ariz. Their game will be proceeded by the women’s game at 6 p.m. against the Antelope Valley women.
Press Release courtesy of Park University Athletics – Preston English
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