Warriors Unbeaten Streak Comes to an End

The Warriors will be next in action on Saturday, when they square off in an early-season rematch with the Thunderbirds of Cascade beginning at 3:30 PM in Portland.

Photos by: Kevin Hays

SALEM - Stepping back on the field after a seven-day lay off, Corban's men's soccer team took on the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics' (NAIA) No. 25-ranked Cavaliers of Concordia and fell, 2-1, on Thursday at Warrior Field.

The nationally-ranked and visiting Cavaliers got on the board first in the 6th minute when Mirzet Sacirovic teamed up with fellow Cav Tyler Camp for his 4th goal of the season. Camp began the play by rifling a shot from just inside the penalty box only to have Corban's freshman goalkeeper Aaron Franklin knock it aside via a diving save. Unfortunately for the first-year net-minder, the ball did not clear the end line and Sacirovic knocked home the game's opening goal.

After playing over thirty minutes down by a goal, Corban junior midfielder Joshua Crain received a pass from fellow junior and reigning conference Player of the Week Caleb Louvier and sent a shot toward Concordia's goal. Playing with extremely high winds at their backs, the Warriors got a gift when Crain's shot hit the ground and bounced directly up and over the Cavaliers' diving net-minder Garrett Staples. The goal came in the 42nd minute and was Crain's second of the season -- first since the Warriors' season-opening match versus Trinity Western in Canada.

In the second half, Concordia had two goals taken away from them -- one with 34:31 remaining when the far sideline official called the ball out-of-bounds and two with 27:45 left when the Cavaliers' initial shot was gathered by Franklin only to lose the ball via a Concordia foul.

In the 70th minute, Sacirovic teammed with freshman Kossivi Alokpovi on a through ball from the far sideline. After reaching the pass, Sacirovic dribbled through two defenders before getting off a shot that snuck underneath a diving Franklin for what turned out to be the game-winner.

Over the final twenty minutes, Corban fought the wind, the Cavalier defense, and the clock but could not put the game-tying goal into the back of the net. Having began the game with a four-game unbeaten streak (3-0-1), the Warriors suffered their first setback since its opening game of the Arno Zoske Tournament on September 2nd.

Franklin recorded a game and season-high 9 saves, while Concordia's Staples needed to snag four shots en route to securing the victory.

Corban now finds themselves at 3-3-1 overall, 1-1-0 in Cascade Collegiate Conference play. Meanwhile, Concordia improves to 3-2-2 overall, 1-0-0 in CCC play.

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