Rivera's Header Lifts (RV) Saints to Win Over Providence

HELENA, Mont. - One goal was all it took for the (RV) Carroll Men's Soccer team to pick up their first win of the 2026 season on Friday afternoon, as they held Providence scoreless in a non-conference bout on Valley Bank Field at Nelson Stadium.

For the second-straight day, mother nature interrupted play at Nelson. Lingering thunderstorms in the area forced officials to remove the players from the field in the 84th-minute, sending the game into an hour-long weather delay.

Luckily for the Saints (1-0-1), their work over the first 84 minutes meant that they would be at advantage for the final six once play resumed. 

Right from the start, the Saints established themselves as the aggressors. Carroll spent the majority of the match in the attacking third, heavily out-shooting the Argos (0-2), putting up 31 shots to the opposition's four.

While Carroll put a barrage of shots on net, Providence keeper Teddy Benbow did well to keep the game deadlocked early on. The Saints put up 15 shots in the opening half. Benbow saved seven of them, but couldn't keep Carroll off the board completely.

A yellow card given to Providence in the 35th-minute set up the game's lone goal. Carroll's Nicolas Sanchez (Napa, Callif. / SR) took the free kick from roughly 30 yards out, playing a beautiful ball to the near post. Defender Pedro Rivera (Mexico City, Mexico / SO) netted his second goal in as many games, flicking a header just over the outstretched arms of Benbow to give the Saints a 1-0 lead.

The Saints continued to apply pressure the remainder of the game, but few real scoring opportunities would present themselves. Following the lengthy delay, Miguel Blasco (Zaragosa, Spain / FR) nearly doubled the lead. His strike from the top of the box rattled off the right post, however, and Carroll would happily settle for the 1-0 shutout.

Noah Jordan (Deer Park, Wash. / JR) got the start in net for the Saints, making the lone save Carroll would need in the match. Jordan split the 90 minutes with Dane Quinn (Helena, Mont. / JR), who kept the clean sheet throughout the second half.

A big road trip to the Midwest is up next for the Saints. Carroll will take on two of the nation's best, No. 7 Indiana Tech and No. 13 Bethel (Ind.) next weekend, looking for a pair of ranked wins ahead of the start of CCC play in mid-September.