The victory was the first by any Seattle University team over a Pac-10 opponent since the beginning of the transition to Division I in fall 2008. The last time men's soccer, as a Division I program, defeated a Pac-10 school was during the 1979 campaign, when SeattleU earned victories over Oregon, Oregon State, and Washington.
After drawing a corner kick, Sean Morris (Bothell, Wash.) sent a short pass from the right corner to Kyle Peterman (Boise, Idaho), who followed with a crossing pass towards the left post. Roussos made a perfect dive at the ball, making contact with his head and sending the ball past Oregon State goalie Steve Spangler to give SeattleU its first victory of 2009.
"It was a great ball by Kyle, and Demaci did a great job to be in the right spot, and once he was there he made the play," head coach Brad Agoos said.
Playing on a wet field after overnight rain, the two teams did not get a shot on goal in the first half. Oregon State started to press the attack as the second half started, as shots by Danny Mwanga and Colin Mitchell were stopped by SeattleU goalie Emerson DeOliveira (Normandy Park, Wash.) in the first eight minutes of the second half. Peterman responded with a shot of his own that Spangler saved in the 56th minute.
Oregon State (3-1-2) had its best chance of the match on its own corner kick in the 79th minute, as Matt Drake sent his pass from the right corner towards the right post. Chris Harris redirected the ball with a header shot, but DeOliveira was able to keep the ball out of the net, preserving his first shutout of the season and tenth of his career.
Mwanga led the Beavers with four total shots, including two shots on goal, while Peterman had four shots for SeattleU. DeOliveira finished with four saves, and Spangler was credited with one save during the afternoon. With the game-winning goal in overtime, the Redhawks pulled ahead of the Beavers in total shots, 11-10, and also earned an advantage in corner kicks, 6-4.
"There were moments we played well, and there were some moments when we let them (Oregon State) back into the game. Next weekend will be another test where we can see where the team is at," said Agoos. "I am extremely proud of the guys. We have put ourselves out there this season, facing some tough competition. This was an undefeated Pac-10 team, and we showed that not only can we play with these teams, but we can beat them."
Seattle University (1-4-1) will head to Corvallis, Ore., to take part in the Hensor/Zaher Memorial Classic, hosted by Oregon State. Friday, Sept. 25, SeattleU will face Marist College at 5:30 p.m. at Lorenz Field, followed by a contest against Northern Illinois Saturday, Sept. 26, at a time to be determined. The Redhawks return to Championship Field in two weeks to host Simon Fraser on Saturday, Oct. 3 beginning at 2:30 p.m.