(Editor’s note: Cascade Collegiate Conference release)
EUGENE, Ore. — Three shutouts and a golden goal dominate the headlines in the opening round of the Cascade Collegiate Conference Men’s Soccer Championship Tournament presented by U.S. Bank.
No. 1 Southern Oregon 1, No. 8 Oregon Tech 0
The top-seeded and No. 10 ranked team in the NAIA survived an intense defensive struggle against a spirited Oregon Tech team. Despite playing a man down for nearly 64 minutes after an early second-yellow card was called, Oregon Tech hung close with the Raiders. SOU finished the match with just a 9-8 shot advantage with the teams combining for four shots-on-goal.
The game winner came in the fourth minute of the second half, courtesy of Pessoa de Olivera who scored off a corner kick from Luis Aguilar. The win also gave a shutout to junior keeper Wyatt Zabinksi who made one save in registering the clean sheet.
No. 7 Carroll 3, No. 2 Corban 2, OT
Sophomore Nick Lowrimore scored his second goal of the game in the seventh minute of the second overtime to lift the seventh-seeded Carroll College Fighting Saints to the victory over No. 16 Corban. The winning goal came after Corban had tied the game with a hair over two minutes remaining in regulation on a Kohl Hurtado penalty kick.
Corban had gotten onto the board first as Levan Zhividze drilled a 30-yard free kick into the upper V. Late in the first half the Fighting Saints were awarded a penalty kick and Jose Porras connected to send the teams into the intermission knotted at 1-1. Lowrimore put the Saints ahead just 24 seconds into the second half as he scored off a cross from Paolo Georgiades.
Corban finished the game with a 16-14 advantage in shots while the Saints owned an 8-5 advantage in shots-on-goal. Kaden Connor picked up the win, recording three saves.
No. 3 Rocky Mountain 2, No. 6 Evergreen 0
CCC Offensive Player of the Year Nolan Sherwood scored the game-winner in the 20th minute and Sky Swenson added an insurance goal midway through the second half as the third-seeded Battlin’ Bears rolled into the semifinals.
Kristopher Wennin needed to make just one save in registering the clean sheet as RMC out-shot the Geoducks 21-8 including a 10-1 margin in shots-on-goal.
No. 4 Eastern Oregon 2, No. 5 Providence 0
In the fiercest battle of the day, featuring 36 combined fouls and nine cautions, Eastern Oregon emerged with the shutout and a trip to the next round. Both teams took four shots-on-goal in the contest, but the Mounties connected on two of them in a nine-minute span in the first half.
Carlos Solorio posted the first score of the match in the 26th minute, dribbling through the box and beating the keeper 1-on-1 for the score. Then in the 34th minute it was Jack Rose’s turn, hitting a ten-yard strike off a Josh Goodman corner kick to give EOU a cushion that ultimately proved unnecessary.
The winning teams advance to the semifinals on Thursday night, beginning at 7:00 pm. Top-seeded Southern Oregon will take on No. 7 Carroll College while #3 Rocky Mountain and #4 Eastern Oregon will face off in the other battle.
Three out of four quarterfinal games were won in upset fashion on Wednesday as the Cascade Collegiate Conference Championships Presented by U.S. Bank got underway at the Les Schwab Sports Park.
No. 1 Eastern Oregon 4, No. 8 Corban 1
The top-seeded Eastern Oregon Mountaineers cruised into the semifinals with a big 4-1 win as the only lower seed to win on the day. After Riley Smetzler opened the game with a goal for Corban, CCC Offensive Player of the Year Taylor Boyer scored the equalizer for the Mounties. Then, early in the second half, Jenna Jensen connected on the game winner. Korilynn Goller and MacKinley Gregus added insurance strikes within a minute and a half of each other later in the second frame.
EOU held a 28-5 shot advantage and Cydni Cottrell collected four saves in the win.
No. 7 Rocky Mountain 0, No. 2 Carroll 0 (Rocky Mountain advances on PKs, 6-5)
The first big upset of the tournament saw Rocky Mountain advance on PK’s after battling to a scoreless tie with the second-seeded Fighting Saints. It was also Rocky that controlled play during the match, holding a 16-9 lead in shots as they allowed Carroll to post just two shots-on-goal.
After each team connected on four-of-five PK attempts during the shootout, RMC’s Jessica Kloepfer connected to open the first sudden-death round. Charly Clements missed on her attempt, sending the Battlin’ Bears into the semifinals.
No. 5 Northwest 2, No. 4 Southern Oregon 0
A pair of teams that tied for fourth-place during the CCC regular season posted just 13 combined shots in a mostly defensive contest. Northwest University scored twice in the first 30 minutes and that was all they needed.
Katie Michkiosky, the CCC leading scorer, connected on the game-winner in the 18th minute off a pass from Sharaya Roberts. 12 minutes later, Rylee Rassier earned the insurance strike, assisted by Bailey Travis.
Eagle keeper Kat Sanchez recorded two saves as she picked up the shutout victory.
No. 6 College of Idaho 0, No. 3 Oregon Tech 0 (College of Idaho advances on PKs, 7-6)
In the second scoreless tie of the day, sixth-seeded College of Idaho advanced to the semifinals by winning an intense shootout. Both teams missed their first attempts before they each rattled off five straight scores. Opening the seventh round, C of I’s Laura Staropoli found the back of the net. Then Kylie Cowell was unsuccessful on her attempt for the Owls, ending the match.
Oregon Tech held a 25-15 advantage in shots during the match and had six shots-on-goal, thus giving Yote keeper Shae Waters six saves in the shutout win.
The semifinal games of the tournament will be played on Thursday at 4:00 pm. One game will feature #1 EOU taking on #7 Rocky Mountain and in the other, #5 Northwest will be the higher seed against #6 College of Idaho.
