Last Minute Heroics Give UCSC 2-2 Tie with La Verne - University of California, Santa Cruz

Wednesday, October 21

La Verne, CA

7:00 PM

UC Santa Cruz Athletics

5-3-5, 0-0-0

University of La Verne

7-4-5, 5-2-2

Team	1	2	Final F
UC Santa Cruz	0	2	2
La Verne	2	0	2

10/21/2026 9:57:00 PM | Men's Soccer

Box Score

LA VERNE, Calif. – The UC Santa Cruz men's soccer team battled the La Verne Leopards to a 2-2 draw in a rainy midweek match up in Southern California. The Leopards led for the majority of the contest, striking two goals in the first half but late game heroics from Gavin Lane and Michael Braun helped equalize the contest for a 2-2 tie. The Banana Slugs scored their two goals just 41 seconds apart, standing as one of the fastest sequences of goal scoring in program history. UC Santa Cruz outshot ULV 16-9 in the contest with an 8-6 advantage in shots on goal. The contest was a chippy one with 23 fouls in total with ULV recording 15 but UCSC was given three yellow cards to ULV's one in the match. With the draw, UCSC is now 5-3-5 on the year and will take on Westmont College on October 24th at 2:00 p.m. in Santa Barbara, Ca.

How It Happened
On a cold and rainy night in La Verne, the Banana Slugs came out swinging, taking the games first shot just three minutes into the contest. La Verne answered with two shots of their own, but UCSC was knocking on the door once again in the 21st minute with another shot on goal and one just wide from Soren Groessl. From there, the Leopards countered, breaking the scoreless play in the 23rd minute to go up 1-0 in the contest.

The Banana Slugs attempted to counter with an on target shot I the 24th minute but the attempt was saved, keeping the game locked at 1-0. Just over 10 minutes later, ULV doubled their lead in the 36th minute with their second goal of the half, putting UCSC down 2-0 into the halftime break.

La Verne continued their pressure out of the halftime break, forcing Tobias Jacobson-Bell to make a save in the 52nd minute as the rain picked up. In the 59th and 63rd minute, Soren Groessl and Michael Braun both put attempts on frame, but both shots were saved, keeping UCSC behind 2-0 with under 30 minutes remaining. As continued to tick away, the intensity of the match picked up with the Banana Slugs fighting hard to strike the back of the net. In the 87th minute, their first goal of the contest came off the head of Gavin Lane off a free kick with Soren Groessl sending the long ball across the box, cutting the lead to 2-1. Just 41 seconds later, after a shot rung off the post and deflected down, Michael Braun sent the loose ball into the back of the cage for the equalizer, tying the game at 2-2 with just under three minutes remaining.

With momentum on their side, the Banana Slugs nearly delivered the final blow in the last moments of the contest. Soren Groessl sent a well struck shut low to the far post, but the ULV keeper worked hard to make the save in the 89th minute. Michael Braun shot again just 14 seconds later but his attempt was blocked. With 53 seconds remaining, Aidan Dellinger shot what would be the game's final chance but it might just over the crossbar, ending the game in a wild 2-2 tie.