The Master’s College and Vanguard traded goals in regulation and then went scoreless over the final 42 minutes as the teams settled for a 1-1, double-overtime tie Wednesday afternoon in Placerita Canyon.

The tie was the Mustangs’ first of the campaign and kept them winless over their last three starts, dropping them to 5-7-1 overall and 1-3-1 in the GSAC.

Looking to take a step up in the conference standings, the Mustangs drew first blood when sophomore midfielder Taylor Shahi (Santa Rosa, CA) converted a penalty kick at the 32:14 mark of the first half.  It was Shahi’s fifth goal of the campaign, tying freshman Austin Rochow (Canyon Country, CA) for the top mark on the team.

Saying that his club “finally put a complete game together,” TMC head coach Jim Rickard was very confident that that slightest of leads would hold up.  Making a couple of position changes that paid off with great energy, Rickard had his club thinking the same thing.

But, the Lions (5-5-3, 3-0-2), one of only two undefeated teams (Concordia 5-0) in conference play, knotted things up with 21:57 left to play when Edgar Hernandez took a pass from Joshua Banta and kicked the ball by Mustang keeper Andrew Bussell (Bakersfield, CA) for the tying score.

The Mustangs had a chance to untie the game in the closing minutes but Rochow’s shot with 7:32 remaining went wide.

In the first extra period, both squads had chances to win it but saves by Bussell and his Vanguard counterpart, Alejandro Figueroa, preserved the tie, sending the clubs into a second and final overtime.

That session featured another Figueroa save (he had nine on the afternoon), this one on a shot by Kevin Scheunemann at the 102:04 mark that would be the Mustangs’ final shot on goal of the day.

Hoping to turn things around and snap their winless skein, the Mustangs welcome San Diego Christian (2-2-1 in the GSAC) to Reese Field on Saturday afternoon.  Kick-off is set for 2:30 p.m.