SALEM, Ore. – The Corban University Men's Soccer team remained unbeaten on the young season Friday afternoon, defeating Pacific Union College 2-0 at the Outdoor Athletic Complex (OAC) behind a dominant all-around performance. After peppering the Pioneer defense throughout the match, the Warriors finally broke through with a pair of second-half goals and cruised to their second consecutive shutout victory.
"I'm happy with how our guys persevered today," said Corban head coach Jordan Keegan. "Playing against a team that likes to sit in a low block defensively is always going to be a challenge, but I'm glad we got to experience it tonight. It's been great to continue to learn how to fit all our pieces in this group together to look our best, and I feel that we got some excellent data on that tonight. I'm really happy Johnny could get on the scoresheet tonight, as he's always been reliable defensively but for him to get that goal really opened the game up for us."
The Warriors (2-0-0) controlled the run of play from the opening whistle, outshooting Pacific Union (0-3-0) by a commanding 20-2 margin while holding advantages in shots on goal (5-2) and corner kicks (7-3). Despite creating numerous scoring opportunities early, Corban was forced to settle for a scoreless tie at halftime as Pioneer goalkeeper Youssef Mahrish helped keep the visitors level.
Corban continued its relentless offensive pressure throughout the second half, generating chance after chance before finally breaking through in the 75th minute. Following a Warrior substitution less than six minutes earlier, junior forward Zachary Milczarek immediately made an impact, combining with freshman midfielder Abraham Lopez to set up freshman defender Johnny Garcia for his first goal of the season, the first of his collegiate career, and a 1-0 Corban advantage.
The Warriors wasted little time adding insurance. Just over four minutes later, freshman forward Antonio Virrueta found space in the attack and finished a setup from junior forward Jesus Mendoza with a perfectly placed header into the top right corner of the goal, doubling the Corban lead to 2-0 in the 79th minute. The Warrior defense handled the remainder of the contest with ease, allowing just one shot after halftime and securing Corban's second clean sheet in as many matches.
Virrueta led the Corban attack with a game-high six shots, including three on target, while scoring his first goal of the season. Garcia netted the eventual game-winner, while Lopez, Milczarek, and Mendoza each recorded assists. Defensively, redshirt sophomore goalkeeper Rylan Davidson stopped both shots he faced to earn his second shutout victory of the year in as many games. Corban saw eight different players record at least one shot attempt as part of the team's balanced offensive effort.
For Pacific Union, Jake Boyd and Yousufu Siaway accounted for the Pioneers' two shots on goal. Mahrish kept the visitors within striking distance for much of the afternoon, making three saves while facing 20 total Corban shot attempts.
The Warriors have now outscored opponents 3-0 through their first two matches of the campaign and have yet to trail this season. Corban's 20 shots marked its highest offensive output of the young season, and the Warriors limited Pacific Union to just two total shots across the full 90 minutes.
Corban will continue its homestand next week when the Warriors welcome Lewis & Clark College (0-0-0) to Salem on Wednesday, September 9th. Kickoff is scheduled for 5pm as Corban looks to continue its unbeaten start to the 2026 campaign.
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