WPC Falls to 5th-Ranked Simon Fraser 2-1
PORTLAND, Ore. --- The Warner Pacific men’s soccer team dropped its home opener 2-1 to No. 5-ranked Simon Fraser. The Clansmen scored a goal in each half to take a 2-0 lead before the Knights cut the deficit late in the game. Warner Pacific falls to 0-1-0 while Simon Fraser improves to 1-10.
After playing a tense and scoreless first 25 minutes, Warner Pacific nearly took the lead when freshman Titus Palmquist, who had just entered the game less than a minute prior, had an open look at the net after receiving a pass in the box from fellow freshman Alija Sacirovic. But Palmquist’s shot was saved by Clansman keeper Thomas Lindley. Ten minutes later, Simon Fraser broke through with the first goal when a Clansman attacker was taken down in the box and the referee awarded a penalty kick. Justin Carvery slotted the ball into the right corner past diving Knights keeper Ted Latta to net the game’s first goal.
Simon Fraser, ranked No. 5 in the NAIA in the pre-season NSCAA coach’s poll, pushed the lead to 2-0 in the 65th minute when Tom Lowndes won a 50/50 ball away from Latta near the top of the box and sent the ball into the open net after taking a dribble. Latta was challenged by a relentless Clansman attack all game, registering 8 saves.
The Knights responded with a goal of their own only seven minutes later, when Matt Radke scored on an assist from Jaxin Skyward. Skyward won the ball in the box after a long throw-in from Andrew Scott and sent it toward Radke, who hammerd it into the back of the net.
Overall, Simon Fraser recorded 16 shots for the game to 7 for Warner Pacific. Thomas Lowndes led the way with four shots for the Clansman, while Sacirovic and Luis Galvan each had a pair of shots for the Knights.
The men’s soccer team returns to action on August 29 with a 3:00 PM game in Salem, Ore. against Willamette.