Sept. 1, 2002

Box Score

TULSA - Momentum is a funny thing in sports. Minutes after grabbing the momentum of the match with a game-tying score late in regulation the No. 17 University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee men's soccer team saw it all slip away less than four minutes later in a 2-1 overtime loss to the University of Tulsa here Saturday (August 31).

Trailing by a goal for nearly two-thirds of the game the Panther offense was finally able to net the equalizer at the 86:44 mark. Eastern Illinois University-transfer Julian Chang netted UWM's goal when he put the ball away after a mad scramble in fron of the UT goal. However, the host Golden Hurricane spoiled the Panther comeback when sophomore Kyle Brown found the back of the net on a breakaway just 41 seconds into extra time. Brown, who assisted Golden Hurricane freshman Ryan Pore on the match's first score, wreaked havoc on the Panthers all night.

"This truly was an ugly event," UWM head coach Louis Bennett said. "The overall game was not a good spectacle of soccer. The game lacked flow and continuity but you have to give Tulsa credit. They ran, defended, and played like a team at home that desperately wanted a victory."

The two squads were evenly matched all night as the teams were nearly equal in every statistical category. UWM outshot Tulsa 14 to 12 and notched four more corner kicks but the two teams were even in saves and fouls, with four and 17, respectively. However, two defensive breakdowns, one in each half, ended up sealing the Panthers fate.

"Tonight was a classic example of us playing with a target on our back," Bennett added. "We now have to realize that we have to play better to win these type of games. Tulsa just engaged themselves better than we did and they were more resiliant to the type of game being played. We gave away two, half-field breakaway goals. We made the same mistake twice and that can't happen."

UWM will stay in the southeastern part of the country and face their second consecutive Missouri Valley Conference when they travel to Dallas, TX, to play Southern Methodist University on Monday (Sept. 2). The Mustangs, the preseason No. 8 team in the country, is coming off a 21-1 season and a quarterfinal showing in the NCAA Tournament. The match is scheduled to begin at 7:30 p.m.