SANTA CLARA, Calif. – Not often do you see a buzzer beater in soccer but Santa Clara men's soccer player Itamar Efrat did just that, scoring the game winning goal with two seconds left in regulation to send the Broncos to a 2-1 comeback victory over San Jose State in a nonconference game mired with 12 cards. Santa Clara (3-2-1) played the final 15 minutes with a two player advantage after Christian Powell picked up his second yellow card of the match and cashed it in the waning seconds when Efrat found the back of the net.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
- A total of 12 cards were issued in the match - 10 against San Jose State and two for Santa Clara. There were four red cards, all against SJSU, including one just two minutes into the game when Kaylob Walker had a hard foul to the head of Pierce Dyal. That foul set the tone for the rest of the evening in a physical contest touted the Battle of the Alameda.
- Despite being down a player, San Jose State (1-3-2) got on the board first in the fifth minute on a goal by Cameron Cook, assisted by Gilverto Rivera.
- The score remained 1-0 at the intermission with the Broncos holding a slight advantage in shots, 6-5, and a decisive edge in corner kicks 7-0.
- In the 53rd minute, Jack Civitts delivered the equalizer chesting in the ball off a save by Spartans goalkeeper Edgar Guerra on a rocket shot by Andrew Sullivan.
- While the Broncos peppered the Spartans defense with shot after shot in the second half, the pace picked up after Powell was red carded. Six of the 16 second half shots came in the final 15 minutes including Efrat's game winner with two ticks left on the clock.
NOTABLE NUMBERS / GAME NOTES:
- Santa Clara leads the series 28-21-9.
- The Broncos had a 22-5 advantage in shots including 10-2 on frame.
- The goal by Efrat was the first of his career for the sophomore.
- Civitts tallied his first points of the season with a goal and an assist on the game winner.
- Guerra had eight saves in the game while Bronco goalkeeper Jack Stoecker had two.
HIGHLIGHTS:
POST-GAME COMMENTS:
NEXT UP:
- Santa Clara hosts Sacramento State in a nonconference match on Thursday at 7:30 p.m.
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