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SMC California Athletics

Saint Mary's College Athletics Gaels
Boyd Curry header
Saint Mary's Athletics / Tod Fierner
2
Winner Stanford STA (7-1-4, 1-1-3)
0
Saint Mary's (CA) SMC (5-6-2, 0-1-1)
Winner
Stanford STA
(7-1-4, 1-1-3)
2
Final
0
Saint Mary's (CA) SMC
(5-6-2, 0-1-1)
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Stanford STA 0 2 2
Saint Mary's (CA) SMC 0 0 0

Game Recap: Men's Soccer |

MSOC | Two Late Penalties Lead to Loss Vs. Stanford

MORAGA, Calif. – The Saint Mary's Men's Soccer Team deserved a better result on Saturday in their first home game since September 4, but ended up on the short end of a 2-0 score to No. 9 Stanford after a handball was called in the box late in the match.
 
The teams took turns controlling the action in the first half, with the Cardinal dominating the first quarter of the game and the Gaels on the attack in the last 20-plus minutes of the half.
 
SMC grabbed the momentum near the 28the minute as Wade Muttitt broke free and fired a shot that just went over the crossbar and the leaping Cardinal keeper. In the 35th minute Boyd Curry put a header on net that forced a save as the Gaels controlled the ball to end the half.
 
If the first half was a play divided into two acts, the second half was more like an improv, call-and-response routine, with each team struggling to maintain possession. Play seemed to be dominated by a lot of volleys of balls headed back and forth and attempts at some long balls that were well defended.
 
But with exactly 71 minutes elapsed on the score board, a hand ball was called on the Gaels in the penalty area. Valentin Kurz turned his back to block a shot and keep his arms from getting struck, but the ball still managed to find the back of his arm which led to the penalty shot. Stanford's Cam Cilly put the PK into the left side of the net for a 1-0 lead.
 
Just 44 seconds later, Boyd Curry - who was everywhere for the Gaels - thought he had drawn a foul, but instead one was called on the SMC captain and Stanford would get a penalty shot just to the left of the box. The cross was headed home to make it 2-1, and suddenly the Gaels great effort against the Cardinal was erased on two penalties.
 
The Gaels can take a lot of positives from this WCC-Pac 12 clash back into conference play, as they played well outside of those tough breaks. The loss snapped a three-game unbeaten streak against the Cardinal for Saint Mary's.
 
UP NEXT:
Saint Mary's takes on San Francisco on Saturday, October 22 at 3:00 p.m. in Saint Mary's Stadium.
 
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