Concordia Hands Northwest First Conference Defeat
BOX SCORE - Concordia vs. Northwest
PORTLAND, Ore.—The Concordia men’s soccer team did just about everything right as it handed Northwest University its first conference loss of the season with a 5-0 decision on Saturday.
The five goals set a new Tuominen Yard record for offense and came against a defense that had been nearly spotless through its first three conference matches of the season. Northwest (5-2-1, 3-1-0 CCC) had outscored its previous three CCC opponents 9-1 with the lone goal coming against Northwest Christian when the Eagles were already up 3-0.
However, the Cavaliers (5-2-1, 4-0-0 CCC) scored early and often on Saturday, en route to their biggest win of the season.
“We got a lot of things right tonight,” said CU head coach Dan Birkey. “We were aggressive in our attack, but I think the biggest thing was that the guys stayed very organized defensively and did a really good job of locking things down for the shutout.”
The shutout was just the Cavs’ second of the season and the first career shutout for freshman goalkeeper Arne Niermann.
Niermann’s offense gave him plenty of support too, as Concordia opened the scoring with a goal just 2:17 into the match.
The score came after the Cavaliers’ Septi Danciu headed home a long pass into the box from teammate Patrick Allred.
Danciu’s score gave the Cavs an early advantage in the match, but the Eagles responded well to the score as their attack created five shots in the 10 minutes after the score.
Jonathan Ellis even put a shot on frame in the 13th minute, as the aggressive play swung some momentum back to the Eagles.
That momentum dissipated quickly though, as the Cavaliers came back with a goal in the 17th minute to go up 2-0.
Allred came through for the Cavs again as he fed Sam Carmichael for the score to record his second assist of the match. Allred gave the Cavs the chance after he fielded a short clearance just outside the upper right corner of the box. Once with the ball, Allred immediately sent the ball in the air to the middle of the box where Carmichael found it and headed it home from seven yards out.
The Cavaliers did not sit back after Carmichael’s score though, and became ruthless with a third goal in the first half when Jared Brace broke through for a score in the 33rd minute.
Brace got the ball after the Cavaliers quickly turned from defense to offense with a couple long passes up the field. Radcliffe McDougald had the first pass for the Cavs, feeding Michael Chamberlain from near the Cavaliers’ box to where Chamberlain was around the midfield line. Chamberlain dribbled the ball a couple times from there, before sending his own long pass up to Brace in the box.
There, Brace received Chamberlain’s ball on the left side of the box and put a quick shot on goal that found the net from 20 yards out.
That goal put the Cavs up 3-0 heading into halftime and started an outstanding day for Brace who would end up with two goals and an assist in the match for the Cavaliers.
Brace’s assist came on the Cavaliers’ next goal, as he fed Septi Danciu for a score in the 68th minute.
Danciu’s goal once again shifted momentum to the Cavs’ side after the Eagles had fired four quick shots in the first eight minutes of the second half.
An Eagles foul set up the play for the Cavaliers, with Brace taking the restart from 40 yards out. Brace sent a short pass to Danciu on the near post to begin the play after Danciu created space for himself as he curled away from a couple defenders before receiving the ball. Once there, Danciu fired a quick shot across the goal that found the net from 10 yards out.
The Eagles again bounced back for two shots on goal and two corners after the Cavs’ fourth score, but still couldn’t find the net.
Meanwhile, Brace found the net for the second time in the match a little bit later, as he scored the match’s final goal in the 76th minute.
Brace did it all on his own this time after he fielded a ricochet off an Eagles defender in the box. Brace got the ball in the center of the box on the play, and finished it with a shot from 15 yards out.
Overall, the Eagles actually outshot the Cavs 18-to-16, though the Cavs had more quality chances as they finished with more shots on goal (6-to-5) and more corners (4-to-3) in the match.
In goal, the Eagles’ Joe Galbraith saved one shot while playing all 90 minutes for his team.
Next up, both teams return to action on Tuesday, Sept. 25 when the Eagles will face Warner Pacific on the road at 1 p.m., while the Cavaliers host Evergreen State at 6 p.m.