Corban opens 2005 season with tie versus defending Canada West champion Trinity Western

August 24, 2005

SALEM, Ore. - Corban College men’s soccer team kicked off their 2005 season with a 3-3 tie against Trinity Western at Warrior Field on Wednesday afternoon.

The Warriors got on the board first in the 3rd minute when sophomore Joshua Crain (Olympia, Wash.) took a 1-2 pass from senior Mike Geleynse (Bellingham, Wash.) and fellow sophomore Andrew Brown (Madrid, Spain) and beat the Spartan keeper for the Warriors’ first goal of the season.

Both teams battled over the next twenty-two minutes before Trinity Western got a gift from Corban when one of the Warrior defenders attempted to head the ball back to senior goalkeeper Brett Bentley (Chandler, Ariz.), but the ball when over his head and into the back of the net, knotting the game at 1-apiece.

The two teams went into halftime tied, but the Warriors took the early lead when Crain scored his second goal of the game in the 55th minute on a cross from junior Scott Marshall (Bend, Ore.).  Marshall beat a couple of Spartan defenders and then placed a perfect cross over an outstretched TWU keeper and onto Crain’s left foot.  Crain ricocheted the ball off the left post and into the back of the net for a narrow 2-1 lead.

Twenty-two minutes later, Trinity Western re-tied the game at 2 thanks to a goal by Josh McCaig following a rebound off the cross bar from Spartan teammate Josip Maras in the 77th minute.

Warrior fans had their heart stop for a few seconds when Corban was called for a hand ball inside the penalty box with just over three minutes remaining, which awarded the Spartans a penalty kick.  Bentley saved the game for Corban when he deflected Mark Peters’ penalty shot and then made another save when Peters attempted to knock the rebound into the back of the net.

Corban took the momentum from Bentley’s save and retook the lead with less than two minutes left when junior Aaron Conger (Fairbanks, Alaska) scored his first goal of the season in the 89th minute when he took a rebound off Trinity Western’s keeper and sent it into the back of the net.

Trinity Western did not allow their spirits to be flattened by Corban’s late goal and scored with 44 seconds remaining thanks to a last ditch effort by Todd Anderson that found the back of the net and knotted the game at 3-apiece, which ended up to be the final score.

Bentley recorded 12 saves despite Corban being out shot, 27-7, while Crain recorded 4 shots (3 on goal).

Corban finds their overall record at 0-0-1, while Trinity Western finds their overall record at 0-0-1.  Corban is next in action on Saturday, September 3rd, when they travel to McMinnville, Ore. for a match up with Linfield beginning at 2:00 p.m.