Gauchos drop MPSF opener in fourth overtime

Ninth-ranked UCSB battled through four overtime periods on Saturday afternoon before coming up short, 11-10, against No. 8 Long Beach State in the Gauchos’ Mountain Pacific Sports Federation opener at the 49ers’ Campus Pool.
 
With the loss, UCSB falls to 9-8 on the season and 0-1 in conference play. Long Beach improves to 7-8 overall and 1-3 in MPSF games. 
 
The hotly contested game saw eight tied scores and five lead changes between the two teams. It marked Long Beach’s second one-goal victory over the Gauchos this month.
 
Long Beach got off to an early 2-0 lead in the first quarter, but the Gauchos were able to fight back and tie the game at two-apiece after the first eight minutes. Long Beach State outscored UCSB 3-2 in the second to carry a narrow 5-4 lead into halftime.
 
Alexsandr Petrovic stretched Long Beach’s lead to 6-4 at the beginning of the third quarter before Milos Golic rattled off three consecutive goals to put UCSB ahead, 7-6 early in the fourth. Both teams exchanged three goals apiece in the fourth to push the tie to 9-9 and force the game into overtime.
 
Jeff Greenwood scored the first goal of overtime to give the 49ers a 10-9 lead before Zsombor Vincze notched his second goal of the day to make the score 10-all. 
 
Justin Koeppen scored the game-winner with 1:53 remaining in the second sudden victory overtime period to propel the 49ers to the 11-10 victory. 
 
Golic led the Gauchos with a season-high six goals in the loss while junior Vincze and sophomore Noah Smith each tallied two goals. 
 
Goalkeeper Fraser Bunn tallied 14 saves, all during regulation play. Myles Christian played in goal during the overtime periods and collected six saves.
 
UCSB will return to Campus Pool on Thursday, Oct. 29 for a match-up with No. 1 USC. Game time is set for 4 p.m. and admission is free. 
 
Long Beach State 11, UCSB 10
                   1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – 5 – 6 – 7 – 8  – Final
UCSB            2 – 2 – 2 – 3 – 1 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 10
UCSD            2 – 3 – 1 – 3 – 1 – 0 – 0 – 1 – 11
 
UCSB Goals: Milos Golic 6, Zsombor Vincze 2, Noah Smith 2.
UCSB Saves: Fraser Bunn 14, Myles Christian 6.
 
LBSU Goals: Aleksander Petrovic 4, Justin Koeppen 3, Jeff Greenwood, Jordan Koeppen, Shane Luth.
LBSU Saves: Derek Wiebe-Bailey 13.