Estimated read time: 3-4 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
PROVO — When BYU head coach Chris Watkins took the men’s soccer team into the locker room trailing Real Colorado 1-0 at halftime, he explained several tactical adjustments the Cougars needed to make and drew up a new game plan.
Assistant coach Chad Sackett had a different approach.
“Forget all that crap,” Sackett told the Cougars. “Let’s just play with some fire here.”
BYU came out with fire, turning a three-shot first half into a 13-shot final en route to a 1-1 draw with the Foxes at a rainy South Field on Saturday night.
“He was exactly right,” Watkins said of Sackett’s blunt criticism. “The game from our standpoint was a little dull, lacked some fire, and the second half had a little more. We created a lot more chances.”
Dallin Cutler scored the equalizing goal from the penalty spot in the 80th minute, slotting the ball past Colorado goalkeeper Brandon Costa for the lone score of the night for BYU (0-2-3).
Cutler’s coach never doubted him as he stepped to the spot after Colorado’s Jordan Gealy was sent off with a red card for obstruction in the 79th minute.
“Dallin made his PK against Harpo’s, and he has a two-step approach that doesn’t give the goalkeeper time to cheat,” Watkins said. “And he hits it hard and accurate as well. We like him at the spot. Dallin’s our logical choice.”
The goal came after the Foxes (1-1-3) dominated much of the first half, out-shooting the Cougars 8-3 and going ahead on a goal by defender Javon Bastic in the 28th minute. Bastic’s glancing header redirected Josh Fallon’s gentle 40-yard free kick past BYU goalkeeper Brenden Ottman to give the Foxes a lead they held for all but the final 10 minutes of the match.
After the equalizer, the game was a different story as both teams tried desperately to find a game-winner to a match delayed 40 minutes by a torrential downpour and lightning near BYU’s campus.
I think we learned something tonight. We've ended practice early because we didn't have passion before. I think in the game tonight, we played with more fire and more energy. I think if we can bring that, we'll get better at a faster rate. We aren't the best team in the league, but if we play a little bit harder, we can win.
–BYU coach Chris Watkins
“I’m not proud of fouls and things, but we have to play with a little more fight in us,” said Watkins, pointing to the six total disciplines in the match. “We’re the smallest team in this league, so we have to fight. I think that was good.”
Winston Sorhaitz, who led BYU with four shots, had a shot on goal saved by Costa with three minutes left in regulation to keep the game even. Danny Arrubla, who scored a goal in Friday’s 2-2 draw, had two chances to win it beginning in the final minute of regulation for Real Colorado.
Arrubla dribbled into the area at the start of the 90th minute, but his shot was deftly saved by Ottman, who finished the evening with three saves. The quick forward then saw his blast from the right side clang off the underneath side of the crossbar and fall in front of the line in the second of three stoppage time minutes, virtually the final kick of the match.
BYU’s next match comes on a quick turnaround as it welcomes the Las Vegas Mobsters (1-2-2) to South Field on Tuesday. That match is scheduled to kick off at 7:30 p.m. MDT.
“I think we learned something tonight,” Watkins said. “We’ve ended practice early because we didn’t have passion before. I think in the game tonight, we played with more fire and more energy. I think if we can bring that, we’ll get better at a faster rate.
“We aren’t the best team in the league, but if we play a little bit harder, we can win.”
