FOREST GROVE, Ore.- The Pacific University men's soccer team looked fully fit in their dominant win over Walla Walla University on Sunday afternoon, cruising to a 2-0 victory in their season-opening exhibition match.
A pair of debutants got in on the scoring as
Brodie Buchert (Freshman/Riverside, CA) and
Sam Altman (Sophomore/Portland, OR) found the back of the net in their first appearance in the Red and Black.
"It was exciting to watch all the incoming freshmen perform," said Assistant Coach
Kellan McNamara. "The returners have set the standard and it was a great overall performance by the team. It's a good start to the year and there is still plenty of work to do as we move forward."
A total of 17 Boxers saw collegiate action for the very first time, as the team's young talent shined in their first game of the season.
Pacific was in control from start to finish, moving the ball with ease and spending majority of their time on the Walla Walla end of the pitch. The Boxers tallied 12 shots with eight on target while winning six corner kicks.
The Boxer defense was equally impressive as they held the Wolves to just two shots in the contest. The visitors were unable to even manage a shot on frame as the stellar defending of
Alex Pasmann (Senior/Salt Lake City, UT) stifled any opposing threats.
Peyton Terry (Freshman/Medford, OR) and
Conor Barres (Junior/Eureka, CA) were excellent in their defensive roles as well, communicating effectively and showing great command on their end of the pitch.
Noah Edwards (Freshman/Honolulu, HI) was presented the first scoring opportunity of the game in the 23
rdminute but the Walla Walla keeper did well to parry the shot which was struck directly at him.
Following a Pacific corner, the Boxers finally broke through when Buchert quickly pounced on a ball that found its way to the center of the penalty area after being punched away by the Walla Walla keeper. The freshman blasted his left-footed volley into the back of the net to open the scoring and give his team a 1-0 advantage.
The Boxers worked another chance in the 67
th minute when Terry picked out
Nico Allen (Junior/Sierra Vista, AZ) with a beautiful long ball into the box. The Sierra Vista, AZ native did well to control it with his chest but his shot would flash just wide of the post.
Pacific would put the game away in the 73
rd minute when Pasmann delivered an inch-perfect pass in behind the Walla Walla defense to find Altman making a well-timed run. The Boxer forward showed great composure and floated the ball over the keeper's head to find the back of the net and double the lead.
The Boxers would see out the victory through some solid defending and earn a convincing win over the Wolves.
By The Numbers
- Bryce Brown (Freshman/West Linn, OR) recorded two shots on goal.
- Lucas Muller (Senior/Independence, OR), Jericho Lara (Junior/Makawao, HI), and Jayden Adkison (Freshman/Kapolei, HI) registered one shot on target.
- Zach Aderinto (Freshman/Kailua-Kona, HI) started the first 45 minutes in goal before being replaced by Luis Rojas-Celis (Freshman/Redwood City, CA). The duo combined for the clean sheet and were not forced into a save during the 90 minutes.
Up Next
Pacific will officially get their season underway when they host Multnomah Sept. 2 at 7 p.m.
For the latest information on Pacific Athletics, make sure to check out GoBoxers.com. You can also find the Boxers on social media at @GoBoxers on
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