Northwest and Corban battled throughout today's Cascade Collegiate Conference game with the Eagles coming out on top in a hard-fought, one-goal contest.
Single Goal Leads Northwest to Win Over Corban
BOX SCORE
SALEM, Ore. – A single goal by Northwest's Joel Pelton at the 48:12 mark helped lead the visiting Eagles to a 1-0 victory over Corban in a hard-fought Cascade Collegiate Conference men's soccer game Wednesday on Warrior Field.
The opening 45 minutes featured three scoring chances, as Corban had an early golden opportunity thwarted when Northwest's defense stopped a shot that had eluded the Eagles' keeper in the fourth minute. Just over 15 minute later, Northwest hit the right post and then the cross bar 20 minutes later with a header.
After a scoreless, but exciting opening 45 minutes, Pelton teamed with Eagle teammate Carlos Portillo for the eventual game-winner in the 49th minute. Portillo would begin the scoring play with a perfectly placed through ball onto the awaiting foot of Pelton, who struck a one-timer under a diving Corban keeper into the lower right corner of the goal.
Two minutes after Pelton's score, Corban had a golden opportunity when Derik Chaney unleashed a shot onto a wide open Northwest goal only to have it sail high above the net keeper the visiting Eagles ahead by a single goal.
Overall, each team collected 12 shots with Corban winning the shots on goal category (6-to-4). NU's all-conference keeper Joe Galbraith registered a game-high five saves to go along with one team save. On the other side of the field, Corban's Steven Mason tallied three saves despite suffering the heart-breaking loss.
With today's result, Northwest improves to 3-1-3 overall and remains unbeaten in Cascade Collegiate Conference play at 2-0-1. Meanwhile, Corban falls to 3-4-0 overall and 1-2-0 in league games.
Corban and Northwest will both return to the field on Saturday, September 24th, when the Warriors host Evergreen begining at 3:00 p.m. in Salem and the Eagles travel to Northwest Christian for a 1:30 p.m. contest in Eugene.