BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – The San Diego State men’s soccer team battled rainy and humid conditions in Bloomington, Ind., and earned a double-overtime 0-0 draw at No. 10/8/8 (NSCAA/Soccer America/Soccer Times) Indiana on Sunday afternoon. With the result, the Aztecs move to 0-1-1 on the year, while the Hoosiers continue their season with a 3-0-1 record.

 

SDSU held an IU side scoreless over 110 minutes after it had outscored its previous three opponents, 8-1, and came into the game having scored eight unanswered goals.

 

Unlike their season opener, the Aztecs wasted little time and went on the offensive early. Jordan Ongaro, who scored the team’s first goal of the season on Friday vs. nationally ranked Notre Dame, forced Hoosier goalkeeper Luis Soffner to make a save just 4:13 into the fixture. Indiana responded with a shot of its own, one that Blake Hylen turned away, only 37 seconds later.

 

The shot-for-shot sequence was a sign of things to come as Blake Wise fired away to only have Soffner deny him. Indiana answered with two attempts of its own and Ongaro answered in the 20^th minute, but was unsuccessful. Both teams continued to fire away in the first half and the teams entered the locker room scoreless.

 

When the squads returned to the pitch, things did not change as the barrage of shots continued, starting with Kody Duff just 110 seconds into the frame. In the 49^th minute, Robbie Freise found an opening and took it, but his shot was stopped by Soffner.

 

Indiana, much like San Diego State, kept looking for the go-ahead goal, but each time was stopped by Hylen. Goalkeeping teammate Tim Peitsch relieved Hylen in the 62^nd minute and picked up where Hylen left off and played 16 flawless minutes. Hylen later returned just before the clock hit 78:00 and continued what he started. As the match neared the end of regulation, Hylen made two saves in the final 1:33 to make sure bonus soccer would be played.

 

Unlike the first 90 minutes, the first overtime session was dominated by defense as Indiana was the only side to record a shot. The non-threatening attempt came in the 100^th minute and it ultimately sailed wide. In the second OT, IU had two of its shots stone-walled by Hylen and SDSU’s lone attempt by Ata Ozbay finished high as the horn sounded without a goal being scored.

 

Ongaro, Ozbay and Wise led San Diego State with two shots apiece, while Kevin Bick, Duff, Ongaro and Wise each tallied an SDSU-best one shot on goal. Defensively, Hylen finished with a career- and game-high 11 saves and teamed with Peitsch (one save) to help the Aztecs record their first shutout of 2012. Hylen’s 11 saves match the most in a single game since Brad Byrns had 11 vs. Milwaukee on Sept. 19, 2010.

 

At the end of the tournament, Hylen and Casey Meuser were named to the 11-player all-tournament team. Hylen finished the season-opening weekend with 18 saves and a GAA of 1.47, while playing 183:53 of a possible 200 minutes. Meuser, meanwhile, started both games, scored a goal vs. Notre Dame and took a team-best three shots over the two games.

 

San Diego State returns to action on Friday, Sept. 7, when it plays host to the Courtyard Marriott San Diego Central Soccer Tournament. The Aztecs will welcome Houston Baptist to Montezuma Road for the program’s first game played under the lights at SDSU Sports Deck. Fans are encouraged to help the Scarlet and Black “Light the Night” for its 7 p.m. PT fixture.