Pirates battle Hornets to scoreless tie
| 00:00 - 2nd | 1 | 2 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Fullerton (8-3-2,3-1-2) | 0 | 0 | 0 |
|
Orange Coast (4-4-2,3-2-1) | 0 | 0 | 0 |
COSTA MESA -- The Orange Coast College men's soccer team hung tough with a much-improved Fullerton College program and managed to earn a scoreless tie with the visiting Hornets on Friday in a tough Orange Empire Conference matchup.
While the score ended in a tie, the scoring opportunities favored the Hornets as they outshot the Pirates 16-9.
However, the great equalizer for the Pirates was goalkeeper Nathan Brown. The 6-foot-5 freshman from Foothill HS posted nine big saves, seven in the second half, to preserve the stalemate.
Two of his biggest stops came late in the contest. In the 74th minute, a 2-on-1 break occurred for the Hornets (8-3-2, 3-1-2 in OEC), but a shot by Andres Muniz was kept out by a diving save by Brown.
In the game's final seconds, Jose Montes De Oca ended up with the ball in prime scoring territory, but his low, line-drive shot was caught and smothered by Brown as the final whistle blew to end the match.
For the Pirates (4-4-2, 3-2-1), Jorge Sanchez had a great chance in the final seconds of the first half, but his shot just missed the right side of the net.
And, in the 59th minute, Pedro Erhechury chipped a shot that appeared to be headed for the upper-right corner, but Hornets' goalkeeper Jonothon Negrete (four saves) managed to deflect the shot over the crossbar.
The Pirates will return to action on Tuesday at home against Norco, beginning at 3 p.m.
