SALEM, Ore. – The Corban University Men's Soccer team used a dominant second-half performance to overwhelm Chemeketa Community College on Saturday evening at the Outdoor Athletic Complex (OAC), turning a one-goal halftime deficit into a convincing 7-2 exhibition victory. After trailing 2-1 at the intermission, the Warriors exploded for six unanswered goals over the final 45 minutes to cap a strong Warrior Welcome weekend showing on their home pitch.
"I'm very pleased with how we responded in the second half," shared Warriors' head coach Jordan Keegan following his first result as a collegiate head coach. "We were a bit unlucky in the first half but ultimately our quality came through. We worked on some rotations this week and the guys really took those and made them their own. It was a fun night with a fun group!"
Keegan's squad showcased both its offensive depth and attacking versatility, receiving goals from five different players while outshooting the Storm 17-6 overall and 12-4 in shots on goal.
The Warriors wasted little time creating opportunities and found the breakthrough in the 10th minute when junior forward Jesus Mendoza finished a nearly half-field chance created by freshman defender Johnny Garcia, giving Corban an early 1-0 advantage.
Chemeketa responded midway through the opening half, converting a penalty kick in the 15th minute to level the contest at 1-1. The Storm continued to pressure the Warriors and grabbed a 2-1 lead just before halftime when Derick Cuello found the back of the net in the 41st minute off a set-piece opportunity. Despite controlling much of the statistical battle, Corban entered the break facing a one-goal deficit.
The second half belonged entirely to the Navy and Gold. Corban equalized in the 59th minute when redshirt junior forward Alvaro Castellon converted a pass from junior forward Zachary Milczarek, tying the contest at 2-2 and shifting momentum squarely in the Warriors' favor.
Just nine minutes later, senior midfielder Alejandro Andrade calmly buried a penalty kick to give Corban the lead for good. The floodgates opened immediately afterward, as freshman forward Antonio Virrueta scored less than a minute later to push the advantage to 4-2.
Virrueta struck again in the 73rd minute for his second goal of the match, and the Warriors continued to pour on the pressure. Junior forward Julian Garcia-Reynoso added a goal in the 78th minute before finishing the scoring in the final minute of play on a setup from Virrueta. The six-goal second-half outburst completed an emphatic 7-2 exhibition victory.
Corban's balanced attack featured seven total goals from five different student-athletes. Virrueta and Garcia-Reynoso each netted a pair of goals for their first Corban braces. Virrueta also registered an assist to lead all players with three total points. Garcia, Milczarek, and Virrueta each recorded assists.
Andrade paced the Warriors with three shots and two shots on target, while sophomore forward Jaycob Miller placed all three of his shots on frame during an active second-half shift. Redshirt sophomore goalkeeper Rylan Davidson played all 90 minutes between the posts and recorded two saves.
Notable Statistics
- Corban outshot Chemeketa 17-6 overall and 12-4 in shots on goal.
- The Warriors scored six unanswered goals in the second half after trailing 2-1 at halftime.
- Six different Corban players scored in the match, highlighting the program's attacking depth.
- Corban generated four corner kicks compared to two for Chemeketa, all of which came in their second half outburst.
- The Warriors placed 70.6% of their shots on target, forcing five saves from the two Storm goalkeepers.
With the exhibition victory in hand, Corban will now turn its attention toward their final tuneup of the 2026 preseason, as they'll host Pierce College this upcoming Monday, August 24th at 3pm back on the pitch at the OAC.
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