Splash Makes Up for One That Got Away, Defeats Sacramento : Indoor soccer: Anaheim wins, 6-5, and extends CISL semifinal series to a decisive third game.

The scoring decision was, well, a little suspect, but the result was unmistakable.

Although Sean Bowers did the celebrating, Paul Agyeman got the credit for an own-goal by Sacramento’s Craig Huft 8 minutes 43 seconds into overtime Saturday as the Splash beat the Knights 6-5, in a Continental Indoor Soccer League semifinal game.

The teams will play the decisive Game 3 Tuesday in Sacramento.

The Splash tied the score on a sixth-attacker goal from midfielder Raffaele Ruotolo with 53 seconds left in regulation in front of 6,509 at The Pond.

“I had to make up for that one the other night,” Ruotolo said. “The easy ones you miss, the hard ones you make. This was probably one of the biggest goals of my career.”

Ruotolo was in nearly the same situation in the final seconds of Game 1 when he missed a shot Coach George Fernandez said Ruotolo would make “10 out of 10 times.”

But this time, Ruotolo turned on a defender and slipped a left-footed, 30-foot shot from the right corner past three defenders and inside the far post.

“We were so unlucky with the sixth attacker in the first game,” said Paul McDonnell, who scored his first two goals of the playoffs. “When we scored this time, I think everyone thought we were going to win in overtime.”

Ruben Fernandez had 15 saves, but none was bigger than his stop of Iain Fraser from 10 feet at 4:51 of overtime.

That set the stage for Bowers, who was credited with an assist on the game-winning goal.

From the right side, Bowers got past Mark Thomas and fired at the far post from an extreme angle 25 feet out.

Huft was there, fronting Agyeman. Huft put his foot up to block the ball, but it went in. Agyeman got credit for the goal, his first with the Splash, but it was Bowers, acquired from Sacramento this year, who led the celebration.

“I think [Sacramento’s] lucky this series isn’t over right now,” said Bowers, referring to the Splash, who lost Game 1, 5-4, after blowing a three-goal lead in the fourth quarter. “We didn’t play our best soccer [today] and we still won.”

Splash players are optimistic they will play in the championship series, against Dallas or Monterrey. Monterrey leads that series, 1-0, after winning in overtime, 9-8.

“We have all the confidence in the world we can go up there [to Sacramento] and win it,” Ruotolo said. “I think they stole the first one from us.

“The pressure’s on them.”

Doug Neely gave the Splash a 1-0 lead, and goals by McDonnell and Bowers made it 3-1. The Knights responded with three consecutive goals before McDonnell tied the score, 4-4.

Mark Thomas’ second goal 3:58 into the fourth quarter gave Sacramento a lead that goalkeeper Mario Astorga appeared able to protect.

He turned back the Splash repeatedly as it outshot Sacramento, 8-2, in the final 15 minutes. It was the last shot that tied the score.

“Not one person gives up on this team,” Neely said. “You’re not expected to [give up], but to live it is amazing.”

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Splash Notes

The Splash has won seven straight games at home, and three of its last five on the road. . . . Both teams scored on their only power-play opportunities; Doug Neely scored after Sacramento had too many men on the field, and Sacramento’s Danny Pena tied the score, 3-3, after Rod Castro was called for his fourth foul with 2:08 left in the half. Said Castro, an eight-year indoor veteran: “Definitely, one area the [three-year-old] league needs to improve is with the referees; these are pressure games and I think they panic a little.”