By Aaron Williams–

The University of Louisville men’s soccer team fell 1-0 in double overtime to the University of California Los Angeles team on Saturday night in Cardinal Park. The result effectively ends the post-season run that had taken the Cardinals back to the NCAA quarterfinals. Louisville’s chances were ended by a strike twelve yards out off the boot of sophomore Bruins forward Reed Williams just 1:31 into the second overtime. Based on the overtime format of American collegiate soccer, the golden goal was all the Bruins needed to secure a victory and advance to the College Cup.

“A guy got it on the left side of the fence and started dribbling at us so Austin [Berry] had to step to him to prevent him from dribbling straight at the goal. He cut it across to an open guy somewhere inside the eighteen and he got in a good shot,” said Cardinals senior goalkeeper Andre Boudreaux following the match.

“I think it was two different halves,” said men’s head coach Ken Lolla. “I thought we were pretty good in the first half, faded a little bit in the second half.”

The Cardinals went into halftime with five shot attempts to UCLA’s four, including strikes on frame from senior midfielder Kenney Walker in the 39th minute and senior forward Nick DeLeon in the 44th. UCLA senior goalkeeper Brian Rowe saved both attempts.

By the end of the contest, the Bruins offense would create 17 shot opportunities to Louisville’s 12. Louisville senior goalkeeper Andre Boudreaux would record four saves, including a save on a powerful strike from UCLA senior forward Eder Arreola in the 75th minute, before the Williams shot clinched the match for the Bruins.

The Cardinals’ best opportunity to score came in the 85th minute off a rip from senior striker Colin Rolfe. Rolfe put a powerful shot on frame that was sailing towards the back of the net when the ever-present hands of Brian Rowe knocked the strike over the goal. The shot would be as close as the Cardinals came to defeating the Bruins the rest of the night.

After two 45-minute periods of intense, physical defensive play, Louisville looked winded on the pitch in overtime. The Cardinals allowed UCLA to possess and move the ball at will while showing an inability to execute and capitalize on their own opportunities.

“It was pretty aggressive on both ends. I mean I guess it was just a little bit more of fatigue, I think we were fatigued. They had fresh guys up top they were just rotating in, but I don’t think it was more aggressive than any other game we played this year,” said sophomore defender Andrew Farrell.

Lolla also admitted that fatigue could have played roll down the stretch for his team.

“I think part of it was they were a little bit fresher, especially with their attacking guys, they were rotating them quite a bit,” said Lolla of the difference in overtime. “There were a couple of guys for us tonight who were struggling for whatever reason.”

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Photo: Austin Lassell/The Louisville Cardinal