SALEM, Ore. – Just over five minutes into Saturday afternoon's contest, Miguel Rodriguez found the back of the net to give the No. 21-ranked Corban University men's soccer team an early advantage over Oregon Tech. It would be the only score of the day for either squad, as the Warriors returned to the win column with a 1-0 triumph over the Owls.
"Not our best performance," said head coach Tim Kagey, "But we will take the three points and move our focus onto preparing for Northwest Christian."
Rodriguez's sixth-minute goal (2) started with a beautiful free kick from Camilo Avendano, which was then directed towards Rodriguez by Chadwayne Johnson.
Though the contest had the early makings of an offensive battle, the remainder of the game consisted of a defensive showdown. Despite the early goal, Corban was only able to muster five shots on frame over the course of the victory. Fortunately for the hometown Warriors, the defense remained steady throughout the matchup.
Justin Keegan was exceptional in between the pipes for the Navy and Gold, collecting a save while turning in his third clean sheet of the season. Keegan and the Warrior back line held the Owls to just two shots in the second half, and seven total in the game.
Of Oregon Tech's opportunities, three shots came from Anthony Santillan, who made his presence felt off the bench for Owl head coach Brandon Porter.
The Owls move to 8-4-2 on the season, sitting at 5-4 in Cascade Collegiate Conference (CCC) competition.
The Warriors (11-0-2, 9-0-1 CCC) will now prepare for their final road battle of the 2019 regular-season, traveling to Eugene, Ore. for a duel against Interstate-5 rival Northwest Christian University on October 26.