ANGWIN, Calif. – It took the entire roster and full time on the field for the Corban University Men's Soccer to earn a draw this afternoon at the PUC Track & Field, as the Warriors came back from a one-goal deficit in the final seconds to leave California with a tie against Pacific Union College earlier this afternoon.
"Frustrating to not walk away with a win this weekend," Warriors' head coach Corbin Bowers stated. "We showed heart to come back and possibly win the game, but we still need to establish our identity and learn to play a full ninety minutes. This group will continue to grow as the season moves forward."
Unlike their 2-0 loss on Thursday, the Warriors (0-1-2) came out with an intensity that was the lacking factor to keep them off the scoreboard in Atherton, which resulted in an early penalty kick opportunity for Corban. Despite Pacific Union's goalkeeper Juan Causley earning the save on the attempt, the tone had already been set and the Navy and Gold held on to the momentum for a majority of the opening half.
Three shots on goal later and the Warriors finally struck gold against the Pioneers (0-1-1), as redshirt sophomore midfielder Irwin Leon scored his second goal of the season on a cross by redshirt sophomore forward Gerardo Lopez, etching their first score of the California trip in the 41' minute.
However, Pacific Union would even the playing field only three minutes later and just seconds before the halftime buzzer thanks to defender Andres Becerra's unassisted goal to send both teams into the locker rooms with a 1-1 draw on the scoreboard.
Despite allowing the last minute goal to end the half, the Warriors otherwise dominated the Pioneers in possession and opportunities, resulting in a perfect four shots and all four coming on goal, with Leon's shot finding paydirt. Pacific Union did manage two more corner kick opportunities over Corban, but the statistics still pointed in favor of the Warriors heading into the second half.
After a handful of shots to open the final half, Warriors' redshirt senior defender Evan Hoover broke the tie once again with a 60' minute unassisted goal, his second of the season to provide Corban with momentum once again.
As if on cue, the Pioneers evened the playing field once again within minutes of a Corban goal, as forward Kevin Gill scored the third-straight unassisted goal of the contest to knot this game at two-all.
Pacific Union finally broke through on their own to score their third goal of the contest in the 71' minute off the foot of midfielder Mickyas Beyene, giving the home team a 3-2 lead with less than twenty minutes remaining.
With time quickly fleeting, the Warriors needed a miracle if they were going to salvage their contest in Angwin this afternoon and found exactly that in the 89' minute thanks to another penalty kick opportunity in the box off a crucial Pioneer error. Leon, having scored the first goal of the contest for the Warriors, took the try and connected to secure the draw to end their trip south of the Oregon border.
The Warriors ended with a perfect shot on goal percentage, with all ten of their shots either ending up in the back of the net or saved by Pioneers' Causley. Leon's two-for-two on shots and goals provided Corban with the opportunity to come roaring back and avoid their second-straight road loss.
Warriors' goalkeepers freshman Miguel Trujillo and redshirt sophomore Isaac Pureco split the first and second halves, with Pureco receiving the draw against his record after allowing two goals to the Pioneers and each of them earning a save in-between the posts.
Offense was the highlight of the contest for both teams, as Pacific Union took only three less shots on the day than Corban and scored just as many goals from three different shot takers.
The Navy and Gold will return to Oregon to prepare over the week for one final non-conference outing against a familiar foe, as Cascade Collegiate Conference member Evergreen State College (0-2-0) will host the Warriors on Saturday, September 9th in the final tune-up for both teams before conference play begins the following weekend.
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