SPRINGFIELD, Ore. - Playing in its first postseason game in program history, the Eastern Oregon men's soccer team defeated Providence, 2-0, Wednesday night in the first round of the Cascade Collegiate Conference Championships presented by U.S. Bank.

"I'm so proud of all the hard work these boys have put in and I'm pumped that it has paid off," said head coach Zach Mills. "Providence is a strong team, but we came prepared and played our game. I enjoyed watching our composure and style tonight."

Scoring started in the 25th minute, when All-Conference 1st Team selection Carlos Solorio found the back of the net. Eight minutes later, junior defender Jack Rose scored off of a pass by senior Josh Goodman, which ended up being the final goal of the match. The No. 4 Mountaineers played very efficiently on offense, scoring twice on nine shots.

After going into the break down by two in a must-win game, Providence tried to go right after the Mountaineers in the final 45 minutes. They controlled the ball effectively,  but the Mounties defense stayed strong and denied the Argos' advances. Although they fired off 11 shots and recorded five corners, Providence was unable to score on Eastern Oregon. 

Even though the Blue and Gold were outshot 14-9 in the contest, they made the most of their opportunities. Of the 14 shots by the Argos, only three were on target, all of which were saved by goalkeeper Aidan Wright. Wright has been impressive as of late, allowing only three goals in the Mountaineers last four games. The win today extends Eastern Oregon's win streak to six games, and their unbeaten streak to eight.

The Mountaineers will gear up for a semi-final matchup with Rocky Mountain tomorrow at 7:00 p.m., who defeated Evergreen today 2-0 in the first round. The No. 3-seeded Battlin' Bears topped the Mountaineers back on September 30 by a score of 2-0 at Community Stadium, the last loss EOU suffered this year. The other semi-final matchup in the CCC will be No. 1 Southern Oregon vs. No. 7 Carroll College, who upset No. 2 Corban 3-2 on Wednesday.

For more information on Eastern Oregon men's soccer, follow @EOUAthletics or visit eousports.com.

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