The sold out stands were silent, as the ball was lofted into the top right corner, the net dimpling when the ball hit home. 

Seconds after Oregon State had tied the game in the 81st minute, San Diego’s Josh Martinez stood over the ball after a poorly-timed foul 10-yards outside the box. 

After a deep breath, Martinez hit the sweet-spot, and the ball soared. Beaver goalie John Nicolson got a glove on it, but couldn’t keep the ball out of the net. 

“Credit to them,” Oregon State Head Coach Jarred Brookins said after the game. “They made a big play with that free kick. [Martinez] hits it really well.”

The goal marked the fifth of the game, and effectively crushed the Beaver’s hopes of a West Coast Conference title. 

The No. 7 ranked San Diego team held on to beat the No. 10 Beavers 4-2 at Paul Lorenz Field on Saturday night, winning the conference and guaranteeing a home match-up in the first round of the NCAA tournament. 

Despite the loss, Brookins remains optimistic about the Beavers postseason. 

“I think that we are playing really well,” Brookins commented. “We are hitting a really high level. We just got to make some better plays in the box.” 

Oregon State made a statement early when Fran Cortijo scored off his left foot in the 2nd minute. San Diego regrouped quickly however, and scored off a deflection in the 7th minute.

The first half saw several close chances and a stand out performance from Cortijo with three out of six of the Beaver’s shots. 

The scoreboard remained unchanged at the halftime break. Both teams came out with a vengeance, trading chances on goal. 

Momentum shifted to San Diego after a yellow card was issued to Beaver Iker Carbonell Garcia for unsporting behavior. Three chances were recorded before Steven Ramirez found the back of the net for San Diego in the 67th minute. 

The drums in the crowd intensified as the Beavers fought for a goal to tie the game. 

In the 81st minute, Nico Nee slotted the ball to the bottom right corner of the San Diego net, finally breaking through for the Beavers and keeping their conference title dreams alive. 

With his freekick less than a minute later, Martinez left the crowd shocked as the San Diego bench rushed to the corner flag.  

The Beavers recorded several decent opportunities against the San Diego goal, but couldn’t find the back of the net. A well-placed through ball in the 88th minute allowed San Diego to further their lead to two and dash Beaver hopes for a late equalizer. 

While the NCAA tournament first-round has yet to be finalized, Brookins is hoping for a home game despite the loss against San Diego. 

“The environment here has been incredible. Specifically this year, we have had some great support.”