Oregon State
Stanford
Comeback Falls Just Short as Beavers Lose to Stanford, 3-2
October 16, 2011 | Men's Soccer
Oct. 16, 2011
Box Score | Stanford 3 - Oregon State 2 Box Score 
STANFORD, Calif. - Junior Colin Mitchell scored two goals less than a minute apart in the first half in a bid to ignite a furious Beaver comeback after his team fell behind by three, but both teams would hold the other scoreless for the game's final 65 minutes, as the Oregon State men's soccer team dropped a close road decision to Stanford on Sunday afternoon, 3-2.
The result moves OSU's record to 3-8-2 on the year and 1-3-1 in conference play while the Cardinal improves to 4-7-2 and 1-3-1 in the Pac-12.
The game got off to an inauspicious start for Oregon State as Stanford was able to jump out to an early 3-0 lead on a trio of goals during a ten minute stretch in the opening period. Garrett Gunther sandwiched a goal by Alexander Binnie in the 11th minute with scores of his own in the 10th and 20th minutes to help stake Stanford to the early three-goal advantage.
"Three goals in 10 minutes ... is the team not mentally being switched on, which has little to do with soccer and a lot to do with mentality," Oregon State head coach Steve Simmons said. "Doing that on the road, especially in this conference, is ill-advised and we ended up paying the price."
That lead would only last a short while, however, as Mitchell put home a header off a short cross from Will Seymore to get the Beavers on the board in the 25th minute. Only 20 seconds later Mitchell again made what at first seemed like a sure win for Stanford much more interesting when Jake Parker lobbed the ball into the center of the box and Mitchell out-jumped the keeper to put home his second header of the game.
"Those were goals of maximizing opportunity," Simmons said. "Colin got a great goal off a corner kick, was brave to get his head on the ball and seconds later it was the same deal. The ball was played into the box and ... the next thing you know it's 3-2 and we have all the momentum."
The multi-goal effort was the first for Mitchell since he scored a pair in a 4-0 victory over CSU Bakersfield on Sept. 6, 2009.
Much of the final 65 minutes was played in Oregon State's attacking half and, for the fourth consecutive game; the Beavers out-shot their opponent, 13-11, including five to two in the second half, but neither team would score for the remainder of the game.
"This one is very salty for us, but we're going to have to deal with it because we have the same two teams next weekend," Simmons said. "This is a self-inflicted wound ... but this team has shown it can come back from anything."
After playing them on the road this weekend, Oregon State will welcome Cal and Stanford to Paul Lorenz Field next Friday and Sunday for the Beavers' final two home matches of the season.
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