BOX SCORE

SALEM, Ore. – In its first game as a nationally-ranked team in over 15 years, the NAIA's No. 24-ranked Corban's men's soccer team suffered one hiccup before coming away with a hard-fought victory over Cascade Collegiate Conference rival Northwest Christian, 3-1, Saturday on Warrior Field.

Corban (9-0-1, 6-0-1 CCC) extended its season-opening unbeaten streak to a school-record 10 straight games, but the Warriors had their scoreless streak snapped at just over 736 minutes when Northwest Christian (0-11-0, 0-7-0 CCC) scored in the 14th minute.

"We felt good about being able to walk away with three points today, as NCU played very hard and created challenging situations for us," said head coach Aaron Lewis. "They have some talented guys and I think they have a chance to make an impact during the second half of play."

The host Warriors would get on the board when junior Derik Chaney headed home a free kick from freshman Tim Kagey in the 10th minute to put Corban ahead 1-0. Following a Northwest Christian foul just in front of Corban's bench, Kagey lofted a pass into the box where Chaney out jumped everyone and directed the ball into the back of the net for his second goal of the season at the 9:17 mark.

Just over four minutes later, NCU would get the equalizer on a goal from Isaiah Blake after he received a through ball from Steve Jusko that eluded the Warrior defense. After collecting the pass from Jusko, Blake found himself in a one-on-one situation against Corban's freshman goalkeeper Jordan Farr. After a pair of nifty moves around Farr, Blake deposited the Beacons' first shot of the afternoon into the back of the net to tie the game at 1-1 at the 13:40 mark.

In a tightly contested opening half, Corban would get the eventual game-winner in the 27th minute when Chaney attempted to set-up junior Arsinio Walker only to have the ball bounce over Walker on its way to the goal. Fortunately for the Warriors, an attempted clearance by a NCU defender would be redirected into the back of the net for an own goal that resulted in a 2-1 lead for the host Warriors.

Neither team would score again through the remainder of the first half, as Corban tallied five shots versus Northwest Christian's three.

The second half would belong to Corban, as the Warriors applied the offensive pressure that resulted in a save by a Beacon defender in the 47th minute and a shot off the crossbar by freshman Kemar Prince nearly ten minutes later.

Freshman Jacob Fuqua would score Corban's third and final goal of the afternoon when he received a combo pass from Chaney and junior Josh Hamilton for his first collegiate goal in the 62nd minute. The Warriors' goal would come thanks to a 1-2 pass from Hamilton to Chaney on the near sideline before Chaney sent a pass in front of the goal that Fuqua was able to direct into the back of the net for a 3-1 Corban lead at the 61:38 mark.

Farr would play the opening 73-plus minutes for Corban, as he registered one save before giving way to junior Steven Mason for the final 16-plus minutes. At the other end of the field, Northwest Christian's Max Torres tallied a game-high two saves to go along with one team save by the Beacons.

"I was pleased to see some of our substitutes make positive imprints during today's match," commented Lewis. "I felt like Jacob Fuqua and Arsinio Walker played big parts in today's game during times when we really needed them. Our depth continues to be a big part of who we are, as we play a fast-paced, high-pressure style of play. At this moment, I feel comfortable putting our bench up against any other we've faced and we'll continue to need their productivity as we look to make a push to win the conference."

Overall, Corban registered 13 more shots (17-to-4) than Northwest Christian that included a 12-to-1 advantage in the second half. The host Warriors would also earn seven more corner kicks (8-to-1) than the Beacons, as Corban was whistled for 13 fouls versus NCU's nine.

Corban will return to action on Tuesday, October 15th, in a road game versus The Evergreen State College beginning at 4:00 p.m. in Olympia, Washington.