Beavers still looking for first conference win after falling in extra time 

The Oregon State men’s soccer team fell 1-0 to the Stanford on Sunday afternoon. A goal from Stanford senior Tomas Hilliard-Arce deep into extra time secured the victory for the Cardinal (6-2-3, 3-0-0 Pac-12), and left the Beavers (4-5-3, 0-2-2) in fifth place in the six-team conference.

The Beavers opened the game on the front foot. Freshman midfielder David Norman, Jr. fired off two good shots in the opening minutes, forcing a save with the first attempt and curling the second just wide.

Once the teams settled, it was the defending NCAA champions who claimed the majority of the possession, forcing Oregon State to be vigilant on defense and to attack in short spurts.

The Beavers stuck to their task well. An organized defensive display limited Stanford to just a single shot on target in the first half; and senior Devonte Small and sophomore Don Tchilao both looked lively on the counterattack for OSU.

“I thought we had a very solid first half,” said OSU head coach Steve Simmons. “I thought we controlled their tempo even though we didn’t have the ball as much, and then I think as the game went on we got a little more tired… we were not creating as many chances going forward.”

The second half saw the game play out much as it did in the first, with the Cardinal maintaining much of the possession but failing to take their chances when they came.

A nervous moment for the Beavers came late in regulation, when Stanford junior Foster Langsdorf’s shot took a wild deflection and forced OSU junior Nolan Wirth to make a diving save to keep the shot out.

Tired legs began to show for the Beavers as the game entered extra time. The Cardinal increased their control on the game and kept the hosts from taking a single shot in either period. Meanwhile, Oregon State’s defense was put to the test as Stanford continued to fire cross into the box.

The visitors claimed the clinching goal in the 104th minute as center-back Tomas Hilliard-Arce latched onto a corner from junior Sam Werner and headed home to earn Stanford their third win in as many conference games this season.

For the Beavers, Sunday’s loss extends their winless streak in the Pac-12 to four games this season, leaving them in fifth place in the six-team conference.

The team will look to rebound against their rivals Washington on Friday afternoon, and the players know that they will need to return to winning ways if they hope to earn a spot in the NCAA tournament.

“Absolutely,” said senior Matt Arbogast when asked if the upcoming game is a must-win. “Washington is always a must win. No matter where we’re at in the standings we’re always going to come out on fire against Washington.”

Junior Timmy Mueller says that this winning attitude needs to extend to all of the Beavers remaining games.

“It’s a must-win game every game… That’s what I tell people,” he said.