Photo by Bob Palermini, www.palermini.com
Southern Oregon stuns No. 9 Rocky Mountain again
SOU Sports Information
ASHLAND – For the second year in a row, Southern Oregon University team shook up the Cascade Conference men's soccer title race right out of the gate Friday afternoon at Raider Stadium.
The Raiders pushed around and knocked off No. 9-ranked Rocky Mountain (Mont.), 2-0, in a matchup of last year's CCC regular-season co-champions as seniors Carlos Magana punched in a first-half goal and Paul Matyas tacked on in the second. The loss was the Bears' first in conference play since SOU stunned them in last year's opener, 3-0 in Montana, when they again had the NAIA's No. 9 billing.
Rocky (4-2 overall) had scored 19 goals in its previous four games, including an eight-goal onslaught at then-No. 4 Marymount (Calif.). Against the Raiders' physical play, it was limited seven shots and only placed one on goal.
SOU (4-2) took charge in the 42nd minute on a play that began with Gonzalo Garcia's throw-in. His pass found Junior Rivas with a defender on his back near the left corner, and Rivas centered the ball to Magana, who streaked down the middle past two defenders and slid a shot through diving keeper Kristofer Wennin.
Matyas' dagger, in the 68th minute, was likely the most memorable goal of his career. As Rocky attempted to clear the ball, Matyas stepped in front of a casual pass and found himself with room 30 yards deep. He let a centered shot fly, and it buzzed just inside the right post and beneath the crossbar to make it 2-0.
Magana's goal was his fifth of the year and the 19th of his career. Matyas, a midfielder, got his first goal since last year and his ninth as a Raider.
The shutout was the Raiders' third in a row, and the win was their fourth straight. They'll attempt to extend the streak at 11 a.m. Sunday against The College of Idaho.
Rocky – the preseason favorite to win the title after claiming at least a share of the last three – also hadn't been a shutout victim since its last meeting with SOU. Wyatt Zabinksi needed to make just one save to secure it.