Shoot-Out Fatal for Cal Lutheran : Soccer: The Master’s eliminates the Kingsmen from the District 3 playoffs with an overtime victory.

After two hours and 20 minutes of play, it seemed fitting that a shoot-out should decide Tuesday’s National Assn. of Intercollegiate Athletics District 3 semifinal soccer match between Cal Lutheran and The Master’s College at Master’s.

After all, goalies Allan Bowden of Master’s and Dave Salzwedel of Cal Lutheran had stood out, making one save after another during a contest that included two 45-minute regulation halves, two 15-minute overtime periods and two 10-minute sudden-death overtimes before the shoot-out.

Bowden had 15 saves during the match and Salzwedel made 19, but Bowden outshone his Kingsmen counterpart in the shoot-out, stopping two of Cal Lutheran’s three shots while his teammates connected on all four of theirs for a 2-1 Mustang victory.

The win advances Master’s to the district 3 championship match for the first time. Saturday, the Mustangs will play at top-ranked Westmont, which defeated Biola, 5-0, on Tuesday.

“I was praying it wasn’t going to come down to a shoot-out, but it did,” Master’s forward Chris Bingman said. “Shoot-outs are never any fun because one or two mistakes and you’re gone.”

The Mustangs made no mistakes, however, as Randy Whitfield, Bingman, Tim Tallman and Jorge Barba each beat Salzwedel on 12-yard shots.

After Casey Pirih beat Bowden on Cal Lutheran’s first attempt, the Master’s goalie blocked shots by Larry Gildey and Jesse Gallegos, setting the stage for Barba, whose shot clinched the win for the Mustangs and started a celebration among Master’s players and fans.

“You try to read the players’ eyes in that situation,” Bowden said. “Sometimes they give their shots away. . . . What I did was the result of a little luck, a little skill and a little God.

“I take my hat off to their goalie. He played a great match. It’s a shame that someone had to lose. We both played so well.”

Master’s (16-4-3), which defeated Cal Lutheran, 4-3, earlier this season, struck quickly as Bingman scored on an assist from Chris Palm 7 minutes, 26 seconds into the match.

Bingman’s goal, his team-high 17th, appeared to be the start of a scoring stampede for the Mustangs, who dominated the first half. But Salzwedel did not allow another.

“The guy (Salzwedel) is an incredible player,” Bingman said. “I’ve played against him on the club level for years and he makes great saves look routine.”

Cal Lutheran (11-7-1) had an opportunity to tie the score a minute later, but in a preview of things to come, Bowden blocked Pirih’s penalty kick and the Master’s went into halftime with a 1-0 lead.

Master’s tried to sit on the lead in the second half, but the strategy backfired as the Kingsmen dominated after intermission, outshooting the Mustangs, 12-7, and tying the score on Gallegos’ goal at the 64-minute mark.

With five minutes left in regulation, CLU had three scoring opportunities but failed on each count: Gallegos’ shot was blocked by Bowden, Pirih’s was blocked by Tallman, and Mike Bresson’s follow shot was deflected by Bowden.

“We really had to climb a mountain today,” Master’s Coach Mark Schubert said. “But we got over it.”