LA GRANDE, Ore. – After last week's lightning delay suspended play nearly six minutes into the match, (RV) Eastern Oregon Men's Soccer and Walla Walla resumed their matchup, battling to a scoreless draw through 90 minutes.
Back on the field, Henry Lopez recorded the first shot of the match, sending it high. Walla Walla seized control nearly 19 minutes in, firing three shots, but the Eastern defense held firm with a block and a save from goalkeeper Victor Melendez. EOU answered with a chance from Evan Wessel, though his attempt was blocked. The two sides continued to trade opportunities throughout the remainder of the opening half. Melendez added two more saves, while Eastern struggled to keep its attempts on target, sending the match into halftime tied 0-0.
Walla Walla came out aggressively in the second half, but Eastern quickly regained possession and pushed the ball upfield. Following a foul by WWU, the Mountaineers earned a free kick that nearly broke the deadlock, with JJ Gallardo seeing back-to-back attempts blocked by Walla Walla defenders. As time wound down, the physicality increased, leading to several yellow cards. Davyd Fedina nearly gave Eastern the lead in the 77th minute, but WWU goalkeeper Sebas Vargas came up with the save. The Wolves then threatened on the other end, with Paulo Tostado striking the post and narrowly missing a go-ahead goal. Fedina had another opportunity late, but his shot was blocked as the final minutes ticked away. Neither side could find the breakthrough, sending the match to a 0-0 final.
Eastern Oregon narrowly held the advantage in shots, 14-11, while Walla Walla put five attempts on goal compared to two for the Mountaineers. EOU also earned seven corner kicks to WWU's one. Melendez finished with five saves, while Vargas recorded two.
The match was a physical affair, with Walla Walla committing 18 fouls and receiving three yellow cards. Eastern was called for seven fouls and received three yellow cards and one red card.
With the draw, Eastern Oregon moves to 1-1-5 overall and 1-0-3 in CCC play. The Mountaineers return to action Friday, Oct. 2, hosting College of Idaho at 6:30 p.m. PT at Community Stadium.