SALEM, Ore. – The Willamette Valley sky opened up over the course of the Corban University Men's Soccer team's matchup with The College of Idaho earlier this afternoon, where the Warriors fell 2-0 against the Yotes and will now need some help from around the Cascade Collegiate Conference (CCC) over the final week of the regular season next weekend if they want to qualify for the 2024 postseason.
"The fight was there from our guys from the start," Corban head coach Josh Rios Noonkester shared. "An unfortunate decision didn't go our way when we were putting them under consistent pressure. I can't fault the effort of any player who stepped on the pitch today. We will look to carry this energy into our final two home matches next week. Thank you to everyone who came out to support our student-athletes."
Despite multiple scoring opportunities for the Warriors (4-9-3, 3-5-3) over the opening half, it was the Yotes (9-3-2, 7-3-1) who would find the back of the net first, as midfielder Dani Alejos dribbled around multiple defenders before ripping a shot just inside the goalbox in the 27th minute of play. The C of I lead was then doubled in the 73rd minute following a torrential downpour that saw the nearly 200-person attendance scatter for their cars and shelter, as midfielder Jorge Fernandez redirected a corner kick that was originally cleared for the final goal of the contest.
Corban men's soccer was held scoreless for just the fifth time this season and second on their home turf, as Yotes' goalkeepers Ben Anderson and Matej Hron combined for the road shutout where Warriors' redshirt junior midfielder Irwin Leon and freshmen forward Jose Guzman tallied three shots apiece. Navy and Gold redshirt junior goalkeeper Isaac Pureco secured three saves in the complete game effort where Fernandez was the game-high leader in shots with four this afternoon.
The first of two final opportunities for the Warriors to clinch a spot in the 2024 CCC Tournament begins next Friday at 2:30pm, as they'll host Rocky Mountain College (6-5-2, 5-3-2) back at the Outdoor Athletic Complex.
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