Zodiac Falls Short in Sudden-Death Shootout

Vancouver rookie Alfredo Valenti scored the deciding goal in a sudden-death shootout to lead the 86ers to a 2-1 victory over the Zodiac in an A-League soccer game Sunday at UC Irvine.

Valenti scored in the first round of the sudden-death shootout. Each team had scored only one goal in the first five rounds of the shootout.

The Zodiac, which lost at home for the second time this season, remains atop the Pacific Division standings.

Vancouver (5-3) took a 1-0 lead in the 16th minute when Oliver Heald scored during a scramble in front of the net. The Zodiac (6-4) tied the score two minutes later on P.J. Polowski’s fourth goal of the season. Polowski took a pass from from Shawn Saunders at midfield, dribbled through the defense and scored from 25 yards.

The Zodiac, which played without leading scorer Eddie Soto, who was playing with his professional beach soccer team, outshot the 86ers, 9-0, in the second half but couldn’t beat goalkeeper Paul Dolan.

After a scoreless overtime period, Vancouver’s Paul Dailly scored in the second round of the shootout. The Zodiac missed on its first three attempts, but Kenny Hesse finally slipped one past Dolan to even the score.

Both teams missed shots, sending the game into a sudden-death shootout.