SPRINGFIELD, Ore. – The Northwest Christian University men’s soccer team said goodbye to eight seniors on Saturday night as they closed out the season with a 1-0 victory over Multnomah University.
In a fitting way, the Beacons played a defensive battle all game long with most of the seniors playing a part in the shutout victory in one way or another.
Senior Ian Hernandez was the owner of the game-winning goal. In the 17th minute, Jovany Sanchez sent a cross into the box, finding the feet of senior Victor Irechukwu who flicked the ball on to Hernandez. Hernandez drilled home the games only score from ten feet away.
Both teams combined for just five shots-on-goal, all in the first half as Julian Hernandez recorded his fourth clean sheet of the season.
The Beacons close out the season with a 4-12-1 record. They should wind up in 11th-place in the Cascade Conference, going 3-9-1 in CCC contests. The game marked the end of the collegiate careers for Hernandez and Irechukwu, along with Tyler Farmer, Alex Abalan, Jaime Aguayo, Ty Fleming, Tito Gomez, and Jesse Figueroa.
Head Coach Benny Flores said, “This Senior class means a lot to me. Some of these guys were my first class here at NCU four years ago. We have come a long way together and I feel that they have helped change the mindset of NCU men’s soccer. I want to thank them for being part of the NCU family, and always remember: We are Brothers.”