UW-Milwaukee Eliminated by Top-Ranked UC-Santa Barbara in Second Round of the NCAA Men's Soccer Championship

Nov. 24, 2004

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. - The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee men's soccer team overcame a 1-0 halftime deficit and missed numerous chances to win before eventually falling 2-1 in double overtime at No. 1 UC Santa Barbara in the second round of the NCAA Tournament here Tuesday (Nov. 23). Milwaukee's season ends with a 14-5-3 record while UCSB advances to face UNC Greensboro in the third round with an 18-2-1 mark.

"First off, I want to congratulate UCSB for advancing to the Sweet 16," UWM head coach Louis Bennett said. "However, I am very proud with the way Milwaukee soccer presented itself in California. Anyone who watched that game knows we controlled play in the second half and overtimes. However, we allowed a pair of goals on set pieces and that stuff happens in soccer. We still have made great strides as a program."

Milwaukee nearly grabbed a one-goal lead in the opening moments of the game thanks to a UCSB miscue. The Gauchos turned the ball over after the opening kick and UWM sent a ball deep. A Gaucho defender fell down leaving Antou Jallow stride for stride with defender Andy Iro. Jallow ripped a shot from 16 yards out but Gaucho keeper Dan Kennedy made the stop.

The Gauchos increased the pressure right away and took three shots on goal in the first 3:30 of the game. However, UWM keeper Eric Mickschl stopped all three chances to thwart the attack. UCSB continued to hold play in the first half and eventually found the net in the 28th minute when Jonathan Davis headed home a Tony Lochhead corner kick. UC Santa Barbara held a decisive 9-1 shot advantage in the first half and a 4-1 corner kick edge but couldn't stretch its one goal lead.

Following some solid halftime adjustments and a goalkeeper change, UWM controlled play for the majority of the second half. The Panthers took three shots on goal in the first five minutes of the second half while putting the homestanding Gauchos on their heels. Milwaukee just missed tying the score in the 63rd minute but Dale Weiler's cross sailed just over Jallow's head. Neil Dombrowski had a rifle shot blocked in the 73rd minute as UCSB dodged another Panther chance.

Milwaukee eventually tied the game in the 77th minute after an impressive sequence. Reserve keeper Kirk Thode made a one-handed save on a point blank shot and then scrambled to his feet to grab the ball. He sent a pass to the streaking Trent Furtsch who carried the ball up the field. Furtsch played the ball to Weiler who sent one of his patented crosses near the goal. Jallow then beat his mark and drove home a sliding shot at the near post to tie the game.

The Panthers continued to control play the rest of the half and narrowly missed a pair of chances to win the game in regulation. Weiler's shot with seven minutes left sailed just wide of the goal while another Jallow header was stopped by the Gaucho keeper. UCSB nearly won the game when Greg Curry's shot sailed wide left in the 89th minute before regulation ended in a draw.

Milwaukee again controlled things in the first overtime and had two solid chances to score. Weiler's free kick from 30 yards narrowly missed finding someone while Craig Mallace's corner kick in the final minute drifted just high of a leaping Ian Hoelker.

Te two teams played into second overtime before UCSB finally won the battle in the 102nd minute. Lochhead drove a corner kick to the top of the six yard box where Neil Jones headed it down. Defender Pat Curry streaked in and drilled a shot just inside the far post for the game-winner and his first goal of the season.

Both teams took four corner kicks in the second half and two overtimes while UCSB claimed a 10-7 nod in shots. Mickschl made four saves in the first half for UWM while Thode stopped one shot in his 57 minutes of play. Dan Kennedy registered for saves for the Gauchos while playing all 102 minutes.

"It's really been an honor to play soccer at UWM," Milwaukee senior defender Trent Furtsch said. "I am very proud to have played with my classmates, the guys before me and the younger guys on the team. It has been the best four years of my life."

Tuesday's game marked the end of the careers for UWM's most successful class in school history. Seniors Chris Brisson, Antou Jallow, Trent Furtsch, Adam Gehrt, Kirk Thode, Khaled El-Ahmad, Cliff Ellsworth, and Ian Hoelker advanced to the NCAA Tournament during all four years of their careers while winning a school-record 67 games in four seasons.

(Story by Bret Seymour, UW-Milwaukee Sports Information)