PREVIEW: CCC Men’s Soccer Tournament Quarterfinals Presented by U.S. Bank

11/6/2018 10:30:51 AM

SPRINGFIELD, Ore. – The 2018 Cascade Collegiate Conference (CCC) Men’s Soccer Championships, presented by U.S. Bank, are finally upon us, featuring an ensemble of prolific teams in search of the CCC Tournament crown and an automatic bid to the NAIA National Tournament. 

Keep track of tournament results and stay informed on upcoming matchups at TOURNAMENT CENTRAL.

Set to take place at the Willamalane Complex in Springfield, Ore., the upcoming tournament features four high-profile quarterfinal duels to decide who advances to the tournament semifinals on Thursday.

#1 Southern Oregon vs. #8 Oregon Tech

Southern Oregon enters the tournament as the No. 1 seed after claiming the CCC regular-season title and earning the conference’s first automatic berth to the NAIA National Tournament. Able to beat teams in a variety of ways, head coach Davie Carmichael has helmed a Raider squad that is strong on both sides of the ball. Led offensively by Noah Addie (10 goals), Southern Oregon boasts the CCC’s second-best offense in terms of goals per game, averaging 2.78 on the season. Arguably the conference’s toughest defense, the squad’s measly 0.43 goals against average ranks first in the CCC, highlighted by standout defender Michael Miller and reigning CCC Co-Defender of the Year Wyatt Zabinski in goal.

Oregon Tech will look to play spoiler, entering the tournament as the No. 8 seed. The Owls feature five players with at least three goals on the 2018 campaign, giving them a number of offensive weapons to turn to and making them difficult for opposing teams to game plan. Trinidad Flores leads the team in both goals (5) and points (11), with Lodewijk Bloemzaad (four goals, two assists), Anthony Santillan (three goals, three assists) and Joey Driessen (Three goals, one assist) also being a trio of athletes to keep an eye on in the quarterfinal matchup.

When the two teams met during the regular season, Southern Oregon claimed a 2-0 victory.

#2 Corban vs. #7 Carroll

Featuring a balanced attack, No. 16-ranked Corban is led offensively by senior Alex Segovia and rookie Kohl Hurtado. Segovia led his team with 21 total points from eight goals and five assists, and Hurtado finished the regular season as the team’s leading goal scorer with nine. Between the pipes, Jordan Salim has had a solid year for the No. 2-seeded Warriors, leading the CCC in save percentage (.866), and ranking second in conference in goals-against-average (0.61) and shutouts (8).

Carroll has more than a little firepower of its own, led offensively by its leading scorers Jose Porras and Terry Cox. Porras has shown himself to be one of the CCC’s most dangerous attacking threats, scoring 11 goals this year while notching five assists. Also a gifted scorer, Cox ranks second on the Fighting Saints’ roster with five goals, making him a significant threat to opposing defenses. The squad’s primary goalkeeper, Kaden Connor has started all but two of the team’s games and accrued a 1.74 goals against average on the year

Corban was on the winning end of a 4-0 result when the two squads faced off this season.

#3 Rocky vs. #6 Evergreen

Rocky Mountain enters the CCC Tournament as the No. 3 seed, after claiming a share of the conference regular-season title in 2017. Still one of the most explosive offenses in the entire NAIA, Rocky Mountain has made life tough on opponents in 2018 with their relentless attack. Leading the conference as a team in shots per game (18.17) and goals per game (3.11), the Battlin’ Bears—led by the conference’s leading goal scorer Nolan Sherwood—has a knack for wearing down opposing defenses. Strong on defense themselves, the team’s 0.61 goals-against-average ranks third among CCC programs.

Slotted as the No. 6 seed, Evergreen will combat Rocky Mountain with a balanced attack of their own. Emilio Meraz-Rodriguez, in his first season with the Geoducks, has put himself on the short list of must-watch offensive threats in the CCC. Between the pipes for Evergreen, Ben Stevenson has the third-highest save percentage (.812) of conference goalkeepers, and is as capable as anyone of shutting down Rocky Mountain’s assured assault. Head coach John Purtteman and the Geoducks are no strangers to winning big games against tough opponents, and this duel promises to be a high-intensity matchup.

During the season, Rocky Mountain claimed a 2-0 home victory over Evergreen.

#4 Eastern vs. #5 Providence

Eastern Oregon comes into the tournament as the No. 4 seed, after a solid 2018 regular-season campaign in which the squad went 10-3-4 overall and 8-2-3 in conference play. Helmed by Zach Mills, the Mountaineers come into the tournament with a seven-game unbeaten streak, making them one of the hottest teams in the CCC as they enter postseason competition. Carlos Solorio, the second-highest goal scorer in the conference, found the back of the net 11 times during the regular season. Starting 16 of Eastern Oregon’s 17 games in goal, senior Aidan Wright tallied 80 saves and limited opponents to a 1.19 goals-against-average.

Versatile and balanced, Providence brings a number of players with goal-scoring ability to the table, looking to avenge the team’s heartbreaking overtime loss to Eastern Oregon earlier in the season. George Holloway (six goals, three assists) is as good as anyone in the CCC, and his teammates Adrian Gomez (four goals, four assists), Gudmunder Gudmunsson (11 points) and Fernando Gutierrez (three goals, three assists) are ample examples of the depth and variety of Providence’s starting eleven. In between the pipes, Marc Girones (79 saves, .814 save percentage, four shutouts) is widely considered one of the best goalkeepers in the CCC. 

In the one time the two teams matched up in 2018, Eastern Oregon won a thrilling overtime victory in Great Falls, Mont. by a 2-1 final score.

Prior to tomorrow’s matchups, each of the eight teams will attend the annual CCC awards banquet tonight at 7 p.m., with the All-Conference teams set to be announced at the event. A live stream of the awards presentation will be available here.

Below is a complete look at this year’s CCC Men’s Soccer Tournament schedule.

Men’s Soccer Championships Schedule
 

Note: Game Fields will be assigned by Tournament Director based on matchups and seating capacity