Dixie State men’s soccer team saw its program-record 22-game regular season winning streak, including 16-straight Pacific West Conference wins, come to an end Saturday night as the Trailblazers fell in double overtime to No. 10 California Baptist, 2-1, at Legend Solar Stadium.
The Trailblazers (7-1-0, 3-1-0 PacWest) amazing run began last season after a 1-0 loss at Montana State Billings. DSU rebounded from that setback with 15-straight regular season victories, which featured a perfect 13-0-0 sweep in PacWest play, resulting in the program’s first-ever conference title and an NCAA tournament berth. DSU then opened this season winning seven-straight, including three PacWest games, before Saturday’s night result.
After a scoreless first-half battle, the Lancers broke through early in the 67th minute as Aidan Apodaca netted his nation-leading 18th goal of the season from 20 yards out to give his side a 1-0 advantage.
Dixie State responded with the equalizer just more than six minutes later when Jandir Porta played a ball from the left wing to Moises Medina, who blasted a ball into the lower right corner of the goal for his team-leading fifth goal of the year to square the match at 1-1.
DSU just missed a chance to possibly win the match with 2:12 remaining in regulation when Gabby Medina took a feed from younger brother Moises and flicked a ball that rolled just to the outside of the right post.
The Trailblazers survived the first overtime period that saw CBU pepper the DSU defense with six shots and five corner kick attempts, including a Daniel Westholm shot that hit the post. Then four minutes into the second OT session, the Lancers netted the game-winner when Abe Placito headed home a shot set up on a throw in that was originally deflected away by DSU keeper Zach Nielson.
CBU attempted a DSU opponent season-high 31 shots, though only nine were officially on frame. Nielson turned away seven of those shots, while the DSU defense blocked six other attempts. DSU finished with eight shots, two on goal, with the brothers Medina accounting for three shots apiece and both shots on goal.
Dixie State heads back out on the road for a four-match PacWest Bay Area swing, beginning with a match at Notre Dame de Namur on Oct. 7. DSU will also play at Dominican (Oct. 9) and at Academy of Art (Oct. 12), before closing the trip at Holy Names on Oct. 14.
Steve Johnson is the Associate Athletic Director for Media Relations and Collegiate Licensing at Dixie State University. For more DSU Athletics news, please visit www.dixieathletics.com and follow Dixie State on Twitter at @DixieAthletics.