LA GRANDE, Ore. – What would've been Senior Day for the Eastern Oregon University men's soccer team turned out to be another thrilling victory, as the 'senior-less' Mountaineers used a goal early in the second half to inch past Northwest Christian, 1-0, in the squad's final home game of its inaugural season.
"We had a solid performance from the team today that gave us most of the possession and run of play which resulted in a win," said assistant men's soccer coach Jessy Watson. "This was extremely important on the back of our biggest win this year yesterday over Corban, in which we were challenged both mentally and physically."
EOU pounded NCU in the shot department, 20-4, and the Mountaineers compelled the Beacons to just one shot on frame.
"We are very proud of these young men and the growth that has been shown from the beginning of the year until now," said Watson. "It was nice to see the boys playing with creativity and enjoying their soccer."
Key Performances
Freshman midfielder Jesus Trejo scored the lone goal of the match and the second of his young career.
Junior forward Fredy Rodriguez fired three shots for EOU, while junior goalkeeper Alfredo Lara scooped up one save and collected his fourth triumph of the season.
Meanwhile, Isaiah Blake took the Beacons' only shot on goal, while John Castro recorded five saves in the box.
The Storyline
EOU controlled the tempo for much of the first half, outshooting the Beacons 10-1 in the opening stanza.
The Mountaineers' closest attempt at breaking the tie during the first frame occurred in the 23rd minute, but Castro made a diving save to stop a powerful shot from junior midfielder Jovan Rojas.
Just four minutes into the second half, Trejo found a loose ball and connected from straight away to break the dry spell and give EOU a 1-0 advantage.
It appeared that the Navy and Gold went up 2-nil in the 80th minute after freshman forward Uriel Torres-Carrillo popped one from the right side of the field, but after his shot ricocheted off the left post, the ball slid back towards the box.
The Beacons (3-12-1, 2-9 CCC) only got off one more shot in the final 10 minutes, and the Mountaineers went on to win their final home game of the 2015 campaign.
Stats of the Game
10 – Shots by EOU in both halves.
2 – Goals on the year for Trejo.
Up Next
The Navy and Gold (6-8, 5-6 CCC) returns to the pitch on Oct. 30 against Trinity Lutheran College in Everett, Wash., at 3 p.m.
