The men’s intramural soccer season concluded in dramatic
fashion Tuesday night as the 4-1 FC Spliff team defeated the
previously undefeated Argentina 10 team 2-1 in double overtime.
FC Spliff was led by senior Mike Mehan, who scored both of the
club’s goals, including a spectacular shot from midfield
early in the second half.
The game was scoreless until early in the second half when
Argentina 10 struck first on a goal by Freyman Recinos.
But FC Spliff quickly retaliated on the next possession, as
Mehan took advantage of an empty Argentina 10 goal and launched a
midfield shot that sailed into the back of the net.
Mehan’s midfield goal was facilitated by Argentina’s
aggressive offensive strategy: They played without a goalie for all
of regulation, giving them an extra man on offense.
But their aggressiveness proved fruitless as FC Spliff’s
defense held them scoreless the rest of the way.
“We just had to concentrate on playing defense,”
said FC Spliff’s Aaron Bernstein.
“We had to play defense and let them make the
errors,” he added.
Argentina employed a goalie when the game went to into sudden
death overtime tied 1-1.
But the adjustment proved to be futile, as Mehan scored again
late in the second overtime to ensure the 2-1 victory and the IM
championship title.
Argentina 10 was previously unbeaten and favored to win the
tournament, according to IM soccer supervisor, second-year Brian
Yim.
However, the extra overtime periods may have favored FC Spliff,
as the team had won two out of its four victories by way of
overtime penalty kicks.
“They were definitely more skilled than we were and they
probably had more talent,” said Bernstein. “But we won
three of our games on (penalty kicks).
“We didn’t mind taking it into overtime and taking
it to (penalty kicks) if we had to,” Bernstein said.
“We just had to play our game and we got lucky in the
second overtime,” he said.
Ңbull;Ӣbull;Ӣbull;
In the other intramural men’s soccer finals Tuesday,
Sproul 7 defeated NWP in the men’s B league final 3-1 while
the Renegades captured the co-ed league title defeating Is This
Anything 6-2. On Monday night, El Futbol Team was victorious
against the Thundercats 5-1 in the men’s C league final.