LA GRANDE, Ore. — The Eastern Oregon Mountaineers edged out the Multnomah Lions in a tight 3-2 matchup on Friday. The Mountaineers took control early but faced a late comeback from the Lions in a thrilling contest at Community Stadium.
The Mounties struck first when Tawanda Rice scored unassisted in the 10th minute, giving Eastern Oregon an early 1-0 lead. The Mountaineers doubled their lead at the 23-minute mark as Jahrie Gray found the net off an assist from Rice, ending the half 2-0 in favor of EOU.
In the second half, Eastern Oregon's Jesus Alvarez extended the lead to 3-0 with a goal in the 62nd minute, assisted by Daniel Kropf. However, the Lions mounted a response, with Jonathan Gaspar scoring his first goal unassisted in the 67th minute. Gaspar added his second in the 85th minute with help from Edwin Balbuena, narrowing the gap to one goal.
Despite Multnomah's 14-shot effort, the Mountaineers held strong to seal the victory.
Key Stats:
- Shots: Eastern Oregon 16, Multnomah 14
- Saves: EOU's Anthony Lemus recorded 4 saves, Multnomah's Johnny Hernandez finished with 5 saves
- Goals: EOU - Rice (9'), Gray (23'), Alvarez (62'); Multnomah - Gaspar (67', 85')
- Fouls: Multnomah 10, Eastern Oregon 10
- Yellow Cards: EOU - 2; Multnomah - 2
The Mountaineers will wrap up their last regular season game tomorrow afternoon at 1 p.m. against the Knights of Warner Pacific University. They will also celebrate their seniors, as tomorrow is Senior Day at Community Stadium.
