KLAMATH FALLS, Ore. – The EOU men’s soccer team remained perfect in thrilling fashion on Sunday afternoon, taking down Menlo, 2-1, thanks to a game-winner by sophomore forward Elvis Pavon.
“Today was a great learning lesson,” said head coach Stan Rodrigues. “We are still young and faced an opponent that was of extreme quality. We were able to weather the storm, and we’re fortunate to dig deep and score the goals when needed.”
It was a battle early on for both teams, as they played a scoreless draw until the 57th minute when Menlo’s Ryan Onizuka took a loose ball from 18 yards and tallied the first goal of the match.
As the window of opportunity started to close, the Mountaineers (5-0) were able to finally break through the Menlo (5-2) defense in the 82nd minute, when junior forward Julian Wells drilled one to the lower-left post from 15 feet out.
Last year, the Blue and Gold dropped a pair of overtime games. But Pavon made this one memorable, scoring five minutes into extra time after he received a pass from freshman midfielder Taylor Willman and flicked It past the keeper for the game-winner.
“Elvis Pavon and Julian Wells came through and all our men contributed in this win,” said Rodrigues. “It was our family vs. their team.”
EOU owned a 16-12 advantage in shots, while Menlo mustered a 6-3 edge in corners.
In goal, senior Alfredo Lara tallied three saves in the winning effort. Meanwhile, junior striker Tyler Hoiem fired four shots, including two on goal.
BY THE NUMBERS
1ST – Overtime win in program history for EOU.
16 – Shots for the Blue and Gold, including nine on goal.
UP NEXT
EOU returns to the pitch on Friday to start conference play vs. Evergreen. Kickoff in Olympia, Wash., is set for 1 p.m.