Oct. 15, 2016 Box Score
BURNABY, BC â€"Brady Ulen scored the equalizing goal with a penalty kick in the 84th minute to help force overtime as Western Washington and No. 3 Simon Fraser played to a 1-1 tie after two overtime periods on Saturday afternoon in Great Northwest Athletic Conference action at Terry Fox Field.
The Vikings (4-4-4, 1-3-3 GNAC), playing their fifth overtime match over their last six games, became the second team to tie unbeaten Simon Fraser (10-0-2, 5-0-2) this season.
Ulen (Sr., D, Coeur d'Alene, ID/Post Falls/North Idaho) sent his penalty kick shot to the lower-left corner of the net and past Simon Fraser goalkeeper Brandon Watson, who dove to his right but was unable to stop the strike. The goal was Ulen's second of the season.
Following a scoreless first half, midfielder Brendan Shaw had given the Clan a 1-0 lead in the 62nd minute when he headed home a goal with a pair of assists. Midfielder Adam Jones crossed a free kick into the 18-yard box from the left corner of the field and fellow midfielder Freddie Gard headed the ball from the right side of the 18-yard box back toward Shaw, who finished with a close-range header.
The Clan took 22 shots in the match, compared with 9 by the Vikings. Simon Fraser put 9 shots on frame while Western produced 5 shots on goal. The Clan also took 6 corner kicks while the Vikings had 2 corner kick chances.
Each team fired 3 shots in the first overtime, and the Clan added 3 more shots in the second overtime while Western was held without a shot in the second overtime.
Junior goalkeeper Tyler Visten (Mount Vernon, WA/Skagit Valley College) made a season-high 8 saves, including 5 in the second half and 1 in each overtime period. Watson collected 4 saves for the Clan.
"It is hard to go up there," said head coach Greg Brisbon of playing at Simon Fraser. "Good result for us. The first half was really solid on defense. Had a little different game plan, guys did a nice job. Brady Ulen was fantastic all around - defensively, leadership, game-tying goal."
The Western defense, entering the game with the third-lowest goals-against average in the GNAC, held strong against a Simon Fraser team that entered the match tied for the conference lead in goals scored. Saturday's match continued Western's strong display of late-game defense, as six of the Vikings' 12 games have gone to overtime in 2016 and Western has only allowed one goal during overtime this season.
"It is nice to get this result late in the season," Brisbon said. "We have had some tough matches this season...really proud of the team. Kept battling and fighting."
Saturday's match concluded a streak of four straight road games for the Vikings. Western plays its next four contests at home, beginning with a match against Saint Martin's at Harrington Field on Thursday, Oct. 20 (7 pm).
