LA GRANDE, Ore. – As the sun dropped behind the Oregon mountain range and the field that once reflected EOU's logo turned dark and breezy, the Mountaineer men's soccer team continued to give unscathed Evergreen all it could handle in a scoreless dual.
But with less than four minutes remaining in overtime, senior forward Willie Spurr netted the game-winner to seal the victory for the Evergreen, and the Geoducks celebrated under the light reaching over from the Mountaineer football field.
For the Mountaineers, it was the first-ever Cascade Collegiate Conference (CCC) game in program history, and it was quite a memorable one.
"Today was a great game, and we showed an enormous amount of heart and effort," said head men's soccer coach Stan Rodrigues. "I can never be disappointed when the teams leave it on the field. It's a great step in the right direction."
Key Performances
EOU junior goalkeeper Alfredo Lara did all he could in the box, diving left and right while tallying 10 saves for the Mountaineers.
Meanwhile, freshman defender Uriel Torres-Carrillo took three shots, including two on goal.
The Storyline
In the early stages of the match, both teams struggled to detect the flow and rhythm of the first-ever meeting between the two squads.
The Geoducks outshot the Mountaineers, 10-3, in the first half, and the Navy and Gold's only shot on goal in the frame came in the 39th minute, as freshman midfielder Steven Beaudry fired one from deep.
Evergreen (4-0, 1-0 CCC) had a couple of decent chances to end the contest in regulation, firing three shots in a span of 21 seconds in the 77th minute. Two of the shots were saved by Lara, who continued to be relentless in goal.
Freshman midfielder Jesus Trejo got his best look of the evening in the 86th minute, but his shot was denied by Evergreen goalkeeper Angel Guerra.
In the overtime period, junior forward Tanner Williams crossed the ball to Spurr for the golden goal to give Evergreen the win.
Stat of the Game
10 – Saves by Lara, who appeared in his first contest for EOU.
Up Next
EOU (1-2, 0-1 CCC) returns action tomorrow vs. Northwest in La Grande at 4 p.m.
