NEWBERG, Ore. – J.J. Osuna made the most of his College of Idaho debut, as the true freshman scoring a pair of goals and the Coyote defense did the rest in a 4-0 victory over George Fox at the Austin Sports Complex.
The Yotes (1-0) held a commanding 20-7 edge in shots on the afternoon, while the C of I defense limited the Bruins to just two shots on frame.
"Our back line was outstanding today," said head coach
Thom Baker. "Emil Powles was a beast, as we allowed only two shots on goal and made it each for Zac (Dean)."
C of I had three good opportunities in the first 10 minutes – including a Caio Pereria shot that clanged off the crossbar – but the GFU defense stood stout. The game was scoreless into the 44th minute, when Lucas Thorne played a cross to the top of the 18 and Osuna cracked a rocket into the net – giving the visitors the lead into the break.
"J.J. came off the bench and made an immediate impact," Baker said. "His goal gave us momentum that we carried into the second half."
The Yotes put the game away early in the second half, scoring two goals in the span of less than two minutes. Pereira tallied his first counter in a Coyote kit, slotting home a rebound in the 52nd minute, while in the 54th minute, Thorne found Osuna again in the right corner of the 6-yard-box to extend the lead to 3-0. C of I would tack on a goal in the 80th minute, when a failed clearance by the Bruins ended up as an own goal.
Osuna led C of I with six shots – three on frame – with Pereria adding four shot attempts. A total of 20 players saw action in the win.
C of I returns to action Sunday, meeting Linfield in McMinnville, Ore., at 1 p.m. (PT)