Al Case, Ashland Daily Photo.
SOU handles Providence for 2-0 win
SOU Sports Information
ASHLAND – Raider Stadium has traditionally acted as a cure-all for the Southern Oregon men's soccer team, and the Raiders gave no indication anything has changed in that regard while completing a perfect weekend with a 2-0 defeat of Providence (Mont.) on Sunday afternoon.
Winners of back-to-back games for the first time in 2019, SOU (4-4 overall) improved to 2-1 in Cascade Conference play with its first shutout in five weeks. The Raiders used a pretty sequence to get the only goal they needed in the 59th minute, when Michael Miller came from midfield and passed down the right side to Sam Walker, who arrived at the end line and quickly centered it to Renee Resendez for a point-blank strike.
With the Argos (4-2-1, 2-2) in desperation mode and loaded up down field inside the final minute, the ball popped out of a crowd to freshman Alan Gaytan, who broke away and raced into the box for his first collegiate score with 12 seconds on the clock.
SOU kept its home CCC unbeaten streak active at 15 games dating back to 2017. Fourteen of those have been wins, and 13 have been shutouts.
The Raiders' dominance in possession meant Wyatt Zabinski needed to make just one save. He faced six total shots and the Argos didn't put any on target in the final 85 minutes.
Gaytan got off five shots for the Raiders, two of which went on goal against Providence keeper Hernan Perez. Perez saw 11 shots and recorded two saves.
SOU has blanked the Argos in each of the teams' last three meetings.
Miller and Walker were both credited with assists on Resendez's goal, which brought Miller's team-high total to four and Walker's to two. Resendez got his first points of the season.
The Raiders will be at Walla Walla (Wash.) on Friday before playing a critical road game against 24th-ranked Rocky Mountain next Sunday in Billings, Montana.