After 4 Overtimes, Master’s Wins Title on Penalty Kicks

The Master’s College earned a berth in the National Assn. of Intercollegiate Athletics soccer championships Saturday with a 3-2 victory over visiting Westmont in the final of the District 3 championships.

The Mustangs (9-10-3) needed more than three hours, four overtimes and a penalty-kick session to advance to their first national postseason soccer tournament, which will be held Nov. 19-24 in Boca Raton, Fla. The Mustangs reached the district final last season before losing to Westmont, 4-0.

“This is the biggest win in the history of the school,” said Mustang Coach Mark Schubert, who got an NFL-style cooling-off after the game. “In my coaching career, it’s the biggest win.”

With the score tied, 2-2, after regulation, two 15-minute overtimes and two 15-minute sudden-death periods, the game came down to penalty kicks. Each team had five chances to beat the opposing goalkeeper one on one.

Russ Spencer of Master’s scored against goalkeeper David Buehring and Westmont’s Cees Molenaar scored against goalie Allan Bowden. Each team was stopped on its next attempt before Ezekiel Bongarra put the Mustangs ahead, 2-1.

Westmont’s next attempt went wide right, then Master’s took a 3-1 lead when Jorge Barba put a shot into the upper-right corner of the net.

Westmont (12-8-1) cut the lead to one but freshman Harlan Slind powered a goal into the right corner to clinch the victory as the crowd of 2,500 roared and Slind sprinted, hands raised, toward the other end of the field.