Trailing by a goal with less than two minutes left in regulation, Santa Clara men’s soccer managed to secure a 1-1 draw against UC Davis in their home opener at Stevens Stadium on Sunday night.
Niv Berkovitz scored the equalizer for the Broncos at the 88:39 mark. The goal came from a header, following assists from freshmen Ethan Martinez and Alejandro Arenas. Martinez delivered a free kick to the left edge of the six-yard box, where Arenas headed it back across to Berkovitz, who finished past UC Davis goalkeeper Noah Schwengeler. This was Berkovitz’s first goal since transferring to Santa Clara from SMU. Arenas registered his first career assist, while Martinez notched his second; he also assisted on Santa Clara’s only goal in their season opener against Cleveland State.
UC Davis opened scoring in the 35th minute after Cason Goodman capitalized on an unforced turnover by Santa Clara. A backward pass inside midfield reached Goodman, who took a few touches before sending a left-footed shot past Broncos goalkeeper Jackson Ozburn.
Both Schwengeler and Ozburn made three saves each during the match. Goodman and Will Wiersdorf led all players with three shots apiece, with all of Goodman’s attempts on target. Sophomore Jackson Blake made his debut as an extra defender after Santa Clara tied the match.
The series between Santa Clara and UC Davis is now even at 4-4-4.
Santa Clara will next host Stanford on Thursday at 7:30 p.m. PT.
After the game, head coach Cameron Rast said: “I’m proud of how our team kept fighting until the end. Niv’s goal was a great example of teamwork and determination.”
Berkovitz added: “It feels amazing to score my first goal for Santa Clara, especially in front of our fans.”
