Oregon Tech's Ashton Betts
(Klamath Falls, Ore.) The Oregon Tech men’s soccer team kicked off Cascade Conference play tonight with a 5-2 loss to Northwest University at Trevor Derrah Field. Joel Pelton and Drew Jensen had two goals each for Northwest as the Eagles start CCC play at 1-0 and 2-1-2 overall. Ashton Betts scored twice for Oregon Tech in the loss as OIT falls to 0-1 in CCC play and 1-3 overall.
Oregon Tech got on the scoreboard first as Ashton Betts put back a ball that deflected off the Eagles goalie in the 12th minute of play to put Tech up 1-0.
Northwest quickly answered as Drew Jensen chipped in a pass from Joel Pelton on an indirect kick to tie the game at 1-1 in the 20th minute.
Oregon Tech answered just 1minute and 14 seconds later on their own indirect kick. Betts scored a header off a pass from Victor Corona to give Oregon Tech its last lead of the game at 2-1.
Northwest would do all the scoring the rest of the match as they scored 4 unanswered goals. Pelton scored the first of his two goals in the 25th minute as he intercepted a lazy pass from a Tech defender, dribbled twice, and scored past the Tech keeper to tie the game at 2-2. Less than 2 minutes later Edgar Esquivel scored on the most athletic play of the night as he took a pass from Joel Pelton, volleyed the ball in the air to himself, then spun and scored from 12 feet out give the Eagles a 3-2 lead at the half.
Joel Pelton scored his second goal of the game just 2 minutes into the second half as he took a deflection off a Tech defender and scored from 15 feet out to put Northwest up 4-2.
Drew Jensen then scored his second goal of the night as he took a Alfredo Martinez corner kick and headed it into the upper right of the goal to give Northwest the match 5-2.
The Eagles had an 19-15 advantage in shots and a huge 11-4 advantage in shots on goal for the game.
Joe Galbraith went the distance between the pipes for Northwest as he picked up the win as he was credited with 2 saves on the night.
Tech Goalie Tanner Lee was credited with 6 saves in the loss.
The Oregon Tech men and women will host Simpson University tomorrow, Wednesday September 14th with the women starting at 5:00 pm and the men at 7:00 pm at Trevor Derrah Field.