BYU men’s soccer fought a hard final home game for a 1-1 tie against Ventura County Fusion.
Before the game, seniors James Bindrup and Doug Clark were honored for their commitment and work they’ve put into the BYU men’s soccer team as their parents walked out with them. This final home game is a bittersweet ending for both the athletes and their parents and plenty of fans were there to support these seniors and the rest of the team in their game against the Fusion.
The Cougars were concentrated from the moment they walked on the field. They missed three corner kicks, but were rewarded another and were determined to finish this opportunity. Midfielder Pedro Vasconcelos took his time, set up the ball and his teammates all attacked the goal. Defender Alex Neff jumped up for a header and scored. BYU took the lead at the end of the first half, 1-0.
“We lost to them in Ventura 1-3 the first time we played them earlier in the season. We wanted a little revenge. They possessed the ball a lot more but we played good defense. We battled back and forth,” Jace Green, midfielder, said.
BYU was determined to guard its goal in the second half, trying to keep the score 1-0. But Ventura County was awarded a free kick. BYU cleared out the ball in the box, but the Fusion served the ball back in. A Ventura forward on the back post completed the opportunity, bringing the score to 1-1. BYU pressed the goal the rest of the game and both teams had more opportunities, but neither finished. The game ended 1-1.
“I wish we won. It was a good game. Ventura is a good team. A result like that, a tie is acceptable,” Doug Clark, defender, said.
