Warriors have chance to make playoffs despite loss to Geoducks

October 29, 2005

BOX SCORE

SALEM, Ore. – On a muddy and rain-soaked Warrior Field, Corban’s men’s soccer dropped their second straight game to the Geoducks of The Evergreen State College, 3-1, on Saturday afternoon.

In the final home game for three Corban seniors – goalkeeper Brett Bentley (Chandler, Ariz.), defender Michael Otto (Vianopolis, Brazil), and midfielder Mike Geleynse (Bellingham, Wash.) – the Warriors could not overcome a quicker Evergreen team that scored three unanswered goals, as three different Geoducks totaled all the scoring for the visiting team from Olympia, Washington.

Sophomore Quinn Neely (Nelson, New Zealand) scored the Warriors’ lone goal – his 4th of the season –  in the 74th minute on an assist from junior Scott Marshall (Bend, Ore.).  Marshall took the ball and dribbled through two Geoduck defenders before sending a pass onto Neely, who rifled a shot from 15 yards out towards the far post and into the back of the net, past a diving Evergreen keeper.

Unfortunately for the Warriors, Neely’s goal was too little, too late thanks to back-to-back-to-back goals by Evergreen’s Gregory Preciado (12th minute), Trevor Jacka (52nd minute), and Jonathan Willoughby (58th minute).  The Geoduck trio accounted for all of Evergreen’s scoring, as the trifecta each scored a goal and handed out an assist.

The first fifty-five minutes of the game was played in torrential downpour, before the skies let up and allowed the muddy, wet, and cold players a bit of a breather.  Neely (pictured right - #7) epitomized what the day was like for the players when he left the field at the end of the game with mopping wet hair, a drenched uniform, and mud from the bottom of his cleats to the collar of his uniform.   

Bentley played the entire game in goal for Corban and registered a game-high 6 saves, while Evergreen’s Ryan Riley recorded 4 saves.

With the loss, Corban falls to 8-9-1 overall, 5-7 in CCC play.  Evergreen improves to 13-5-0 overall, 9-3 in CCC play.  The Warriors will have to wait to see whether or not their Longo points are enough to grab the fourth and final berth into the NAIA Region I playoffs, which begins on Friday, Nov. 4th, at Concordia University in Portland.