Raiders tighten grip on 3rd place with 3-1 win over WPU
SOU Sports Information
ASHLAND – The Southern Oregon men's soccer team broke open a scoreless game with three straight goals inside the final 23 minutes, taken a key 3-1 victory from Warner Pacific on Friday afternoon at Raider Stadium.
The Knights (8-5-1, 5-4-1 Cascade Conference), could have forced a tied in third place with SOU (9-5-1, 7-2-1) with a win, but instead the Raiders ran their unbeaten streak to five games with three left to play in the regular season.
Freshman Alan Gaytan recorded two assists and freshman Adrian Villegas tied SOU's single-season goals record with his 10
th during the decisive push. They hooked up for the go-ahead score in the 68
th minute, when Gaytan sent a cross from the left side that Daniel McDevitt let through the Villegas, who sent a centered strike inside the left post.
McDevitt got his turn in the 74
th after retrieving Austyn Ciampa's long pass near the end line and dotting a precision shot from inside the left post and through the side of the net.
The Raiders completed the rally in the 82
nd off of Gaytan's corner kick, which he directed to Ciampa in space for a 25-yard dart the went just under the crossbar for his first goal of the season.
Warner Pacific didn't get on the board until Franklin Cordon deposited his sixth goal in the 84
th.
The Raiders compiled a 16-8 edge in shots and Wyatt Zabinski made three saves.
Their CCC home unbeaten streak went to 18 games going into Sunday's 12:30 p.m. home finale against Multnomah, before which they'll recognize 12 seniors likely appearing at Raider Stadium for the last time.