Nov. 18, 2007

Box Score

Moraga, CA - On the final day and Senior Day for the Saint Mary's men's soccer team, it was only fitting that senior midfield Eric Robert scored the game-winning goal with just five seconds left in regulation. Saint Mary's defeated the Loyola Marymount Lions 2-1 in the final game of the regular season for both teams.

The final goal was scored on the 90th minute, after LMU was whistled for a foul at the top of the penalty box. From almost straight on, Robert fired a left-footed shot into the top left corner of the goal to give the Gaels (7-9-2/3-7-2 WCC) their first lead of the game with just five seconds left on the clock. It was Robert's second goal of the season and the second of his career. Both goals have been game-winning scores for the senior who was playing in the final game of his career.

In a very physical game that produced 32 fouls, seven yellow cards, and two red cards, LMU took a 1-0 lead before playing the final 75 minutes of the game down a player. In the 14th minute, LMU's Rafael Baca hit a shot from 22 yards out that caromed off the crossbar. Steffen Canty collected the rebound and scored his first goal of the season at 13:20. The Lions' Greg Ricks picked up his second yellow card at 14:54 to put LMU down a player for the rest of the game.

Loyola Marymount (3-16-1/1-11-0 WCC) held a 1-0 lead until 62:48 when Mark Araujo scored on a controversial goal for Saint Mary's. SMC's Nick Cashmere took a shot from the right corner of the penalty box and Araujo redirected the shot with a header. After redirecting the shot, the ball then hit the far post and looked like it bounced away from the goal. LMU played the ball off the goal line, but the official ruled that the ball did hit inside the goal line, giving SMC the equalizing goal.

Loyola Marymount out-shot the Gaels 11-7 in the game but the Gaels held a 5-2 advantage in corner kicks. Saint Mary's senior goalkeeper Brian Mason made four saves to record the win. LMU goalkeeper Patrick Sampson made just one save in the game.

The Gaels wrap-up their 2007 campaign with a 7-9-2 overall record and will finish fifth in the West Coast Conference standings with a 3-7-2 records. Saint Mary's edged San Francisco for fifth place as the Dons lost to San Diego today to fall to 3-8-1 in WCC play.