McMINNVILLE, Ore. – It only took a minute and 37 seconds for the No. 16-ranked Corban University men's soccer team to get on the scoreboard for the first time in 2019, the first of three goals for the squad in its 3-0 season-opening victory over Linfield College on Tuesday night.

"It's great to start off the year with a win," said head coach Tim Kagey after the victory. "We aren't where we need to be, but we see the areas we need to improve and look forward to doing just that."

The Warriors received some early fortune in their matchup with the NCAA Division III foe. Less than two minutes into the season, a cross deflected off Wildcat defender Luke Marks into the back of the net, providing the Navy and Gold a quick 1-0 advantage.

Corban would need no fortune to put the game out of reach, with the newcomers stealing the show in the second half.

Doubling the lead in the 60^th minute, Matheus Giron headed in a beautiful free kick off the foot of Camilo Avendano from just outside the box. Giron then assisted the dagger from Hakeem Smith, who found the back of the net in the 76^th minute to round out the Warriors' scoring.

Nic Farr got the start in between the pipes, notching a save and earning the win in an unblemished first half. Freshman Jordan Keegan stepped in for the back half of the contest, completing the shutout with a perfect 45 minutes in goal.

The Wildcats managed to outshoot the Warriors on the evening, mustering nine shots to Corban's eight. However, all but one of the Navy and Gold's shots were on goal, a demonstration of the squad's offensive philosophy of creating consistent, high-quality opportunities in the attacking third.

It's a strong first impression for the Warriors (1-0), who will now look ahead to an afternoon exhibition against NCAA Division II foe Saint Martin's University on Saturday. The contest is slated to begin at 2 p.m. in Lacey, Wash.