A majority of Corban's men's soccer team will be competing in the CCC playoffs for the first time following Saturday's playoff-clinching win over Oregon Tech.
Corban's Playoff-Bound After Win Over OIT
BOX SCORE
SALEM, Ore. – Corban earned its first playoff berth since the 2008 season with a 4-2 win over Oregon Tech Saturday in Cascade Collegiate Conference action on Warrior Field.
With today's win, Corban improves to 10-6-1 overall and 8-4-1 in CCC action. This is the first time since 2004 that a Warrior men's soccer team has won more than nine games, as then-Western Baptist went 10-5-2 overall. On the other hand, Oregon Tech falls to 5-11-1 overall and 3-9-1 in league games.
After a scoreless 16-plus minutes, Corban's Tyler Hagen put the Warriors on the board at the 16:33 mark with an unassisted goal following a take away from OIT's defense before placing a shot underneath a diving Owl keeper.
Unfortunately, the Warriors' lead would not last long as Oregon Tech tied the game a mere eight seconds later when the Owls' Jimmy Merkley sent a deflection off a Corban defender and into the back of the net at the 16:41 mark to knot things at a goal apiece.
Neither team would score again until the final seconds of the opening half, when Hagen took a combo pass from Tillermon Kroon and Devin Chaney for his second goal of the afternoon at the 44:47 mark. Hagen's eighth goal of the season with give Corban a slim one-goal advantage, 2-1, at halftime.
In the second half, KJ Newbery earned a penalty kick in the 70th minute after being pulled down in the box by Oregon Tech's goalkeeper as both players were tracking down a loose ball. After stepping to the penalty circle, Newbery calmly launched the ball into the upper right corner past a confused Owl keeper for the Warriors' third goal of the afternoon.
At the 77:14 mark, Oregon Tech would pull within a single goal (3-2) on Hector Jimenez's third goal of the season off an assist by Dustin Hirata. Hirata would begin the scoring play by sending a through ball to Jimenez, who one-timed a rocket shot past a diving Warrior keeper that pulled the Owls within a single goal.
Attempting to apply pressure to Corban's defense in the final 20-plus minutes, Oregon Tech would fall victim to one final goal in the 87th minute when Chaney netted his team-leading ninth goal of the season off an assist by Aaron Kinnes. The game's final scoring play would begin with Kinnes sending a long ball down the far sideline that Chaney collected and went around OIT's goalie before striking a shot into the right side of a wide-open net for the final score of 4-2 in favor of the home team.
Corban's goalkeeper Steven Mason recorded a game-high six saves to go along with a pair of team saves by Warrior defenders, while Oregon Tech's Tanner Lee tallied four saves despite allowing all four goals.
Offensively, Corban controlled the shot total (19-to-17) but Oregon Tech had more shots on goal (10-to-8) and collected more corner kicks (4-to-3).
Both teams will close out the regular season on Saturday, November 5th, when Corban travels to Northwest in Kirkland, Washington and Oregon Tech hosts the NAIA's No. 12-ranked Concordia in Klamath Falls.