MEDFORD, Ore. – For the second time in three years, Eastern Oregon University Men's Soccer team captured the 2026 Cascade Collegiate Conference Tournament Championship, presented by U.S. Bank, Wednesday afternoon, earning a hard fought 2-1 victory over No.3 seeded Southern Oregon at Wheeler Field.
The No. 4-seeded Mountaineers wasted little time setting the tone, striking less than six minutes into the match. Following a corner kick from Njabulo Nkosi, Jason Ortiz helped redirect the ball toward the back post, where Maximo Melgar finished with a header of his own to give EOU an early 1-0 advantage.
Southern Oregon responded by applying pressure, forcing a defensive block and a save from goalkeeper Kevin Pullara. The intensity continued to build as both teams committed multiple fouls and each received a yellow card. The Raiders came close to equalizing in the 40th minute, but their attempt struck the crossbar. Eastern Oregon maintained their offensive pressure through the closing minutes of the half, carrying a 1-0 lead into the break.
Eastern jumped out of the break with immediate offensive pressure, earning a corner kick less than two minutes into the second half. JJ Gallardo nearly doubled the lead but sent his attempt high. The pressure continued as Davyd Fedina took a shot wide of the target, while Lance Nelson forced a save from SOU goalie Daniel Espinosa. The Mounties broke through once again in the 68th minute as Henry Lopez capped off a counterattack, receiving a pass from Austin Turner before placing a shot into the bottom-right corner of the net. The goal gave the Mountaineers a crucial 2-0 advantage and marked Lopez's fourth goal of the tournament.
The Raiders wouldn't go away quietly, increasing their pressure on the Mountaineer defense and forcing two blocks and another save from Pullara. Southern Oregon finally found the back of the net in the 76th minute when Ariel De Dios fired a shot from 17 yards out, placing it beyond Pullara to cut the deficit to 2-1.
With the Raiders pushing for an equalizer, the final 15 minutes brought plenty of tension. Eastern Oregon picked up another yellow card, while Southern Oregon received two additional yellow cards and a red card, forcing the Raiders to play a man down over the final six minutes. Both teams continued to search for another scoring opportunity, but the Mountaineers held firm defensively to preserve their one-goal advantage and secure the conference tournament championship.
With the victory, EOU earned the CCC's second automatic qualifying bid to the NAIA National Championship Opening Round. The Mountaineers will learn their destination and opponent Friday during the NAIA Selection Show, scheduled for 4 p.m. PT.