NORTHFIELD, Minn. – Midway through the second half,
Matthew Deffo scored his team-best sixth goal of the season, allowing the Carleton College men's soccer team to salvage a 1-1 draw with visiting University of California, Santa Cruz on Sunday.
The Banana Slugs' (3-3-4) tally came in the 36th minute, as Luke Williams brought the ball in along the right endline before finding Erik Moreno Herrera for a shot into the left side.
Deffo's equalizer came in the 64th minute. He received an
Asher Burt pass with a defender on his back 30-plus yards from the goal line. Deffo spun and drove toward the box while bracketed by four defenders. He used the outside of his right foot to slip a 10-yard shot under the goalkeeper and into the right side of the netting.
Deffo's six scores tie him for second-most by a MIAC player this fall and are the most by a Knight first-year since Marco da Cunha tallied 11 goals in 2018.
UC Santa Cruz boasted a 20-9 advantage in shots but managed only five attempts on goal. Both teams created additional quality chances but could not get the ball it the net. The Knights (5-4-1) drew a penalty kick that was saved in the fourth minute, while each side hit the crossbar, the Banana Slugs in the 40th minute and Carleton in the 73rd minute.
Adam Ouachani had four saves for the Knights including a diving stop in the 40th minute to keep the Knights within one score.
Up Next for the Knights
Carleton returns to conference action and hosts Bethel University at 4:00 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 7.
