UW Soccer | Huskies win on penalty kick
Washington coach Dean Wurzberger looked to his five starting freshmen to win Friday night in the first round of the NCAA men’s soccer tournament against Portland.
And it was first-year midfielder Matt Van Houten, a Portland native, who gave the Huskies that chance in front of 1,125 spectators at Husky Soccer Field.
Van Houten drew a foul off the Pilots’ Brayton Knapp inside the box in the 86th minute, and senior teammate Ely Allen scored the ensuing penalty kick for a 1-0 UW victory.
The Huskies (9-7-4) advance to play UC-Santa Barbara in Wednesday’s second round; Portland ends its season at 10-6-5.
“I said at halftime, ‘We’re looking at freshmen to win this game for us?’ ” Wurzberger said. “I guess that’s what we’ve got.”
Van Houten drew a penalty kick in UW’s victory against Stanford, and Wurzberger said Friday night’s play was “not a mistake.”
“Earlier in the game I missed a shot I should have made and came back right there and got the PK,” Van Houten said. “It was one of those moments you feel amazing because it’s 0-0 until the last five minutes, and then you get a huge break with a penalty kick.”
Offense broke up the first-half defensive stalemate with just less than eight minutes to play, when Van Houten benefited from a miskick by Portland’s Michael Gavin and made the Huskies’ best shot on goal of the period.
Portland keeper Austin Guerrero made three saves in the first half to keep the match scoreless at halftime. Guerrero had four saves in the game but missed when Allen’s penalty kick went to his left.
“If I could explain the feeling I felt when the ball hit the back of the net, I would,” Allen said. “But there was a lot of pressure on me - the world was quiet.”