Warner Pacific Hands No. 15 Corban Men’s Soccer First Loss in 850 Days - Cascade Collegiate Conference Skip To Main Content

Cascade Collegiate Conference

Warner Pacific Hands No. 15 Corban Men’s Soccer First Loss in 850 Days

Warner Pacific Hands No. 15 Corban Men’s Soccer First Loss in 850 Days

Bookmark and Share

SALEM, Ore. – An incredible run of 850 consecutive days without a loss for the Corban University men's soccer team came to an end on Sunday, with the No. 15-ranked Warriors falling to Warner Pacific University by a 5-1 final score at the CFC Soccer Complex.

"I didn't prepare the group the way I needed to today," said head coach Tim Kagey. "We will look to make some adjustments for tomorrow."

Corban was the first to score in the battle, as Matheus Giron quickly electrified the Warrior bench by slotting a low strike inside the left post just three minutes into the game. Charles Cleyton setup the goal with a pinpoint pass.

The 1-0 score would remain until the closing moments of the first half, when WPU's Christian Bahena finished off a pass from Brandon Medrano to equalize in the 42nd minute.

Just a few minutes later, Brennan Murphy picked off a careless Warrior pass in the box, capitalizing on the miscue to give his team the lead with a minute left in the half (45').

That gave the Knights momentum heading into the second period, but the explosive Corban offense was hardly out of reach. Unfortunately for the Navy and Gold, a costly foul in the box in the 64th minute granted WPU a valuable opportunity to grab some insurance, as Arturo Bahena converted the penalty kick to extend the lead to 3-1.

Bahena struck again on a one-on-one breakaway in the 75th minute, as Warrior keeper Justin Keegan was able to get a hand on the shot, but not prevent it from deflecting into the back of the net.

The final Knight goal came from Mauricio Sanchez, who headed in a corner served in by Nick Evans in the 82nd minute. Warner Pacific's five goals are more than double the amount that Corban had previously surrendered in the entire 2020-21 season combined (2).

The Warriors (7-1-1, 5-1-1 CCC) will still have an opportunity to play for a Cascade Collegiate Conference (CCC) West Division Championship tomorrow, with a win sealing their spot at the top of the regular-season standings. A triumph would also earn the team its eighth-straight trip to the NAIA National Tournament.

Corban and Warner Pacific (9-2, 5-2 CCC) will be back in action tomorrow at 2 p.m., with the Warrior seniors being honored prior to the match.

It will be the final regular-season contest of the spring for the Navy and Gold, with Southern Oregon recently announcing a COVID-19-related pause for its men's soccer team, resulting in the cancelation of next weekend's series.


 

Sponsors