FOREST GROVE, Ore. – Pacific men's soccer earned its first conference win of the season with a 2-1 victory over Whitman on Saturday afternoon inside Hanson Stadium.
The Boxers were able to secure their first conference win of the year by scoring a goal in each half. Whitman outshot the Boxers in the contest 20-5 while also outshooting them in the shots on goal stat 14-3.
Top Performers
- The Boxers earned the win behind an incredible performance from Zach Aderinto who recorded 13 saves in the contest.
- Tait Kuchenbrod recorded one shot in the contest which opened the scoresheet for the Boxers.
- Aidan Heflin netted his second goal of the season in the second half.
How It Happened
Pacific knew that their season was coming to a close soon and if they wanted to earn a conference win, they had a great opportunity in front of them against the third place Whitman Blues. Using an intensity and an energy not seen much this season the Boxers did just that taking adventure of the few scoring opportunities that they created.
The first opportunity that was available was in the 10
th minute when
Jericho Lara found open space up the right sideline. With a perfectly placed cross from the foot of Lara, Kuchenbrod was able to streak through the box and place a header in the back of the net to take the 1-0 lead.
Very quickly it became apparent that if the Boxers were going to earn the victory, they had to take advantage on the offense end and outlast the Blues never ending pressure on the offensive end. At the halftime break, the Boxers led 1-0 despite the Blues having seven shots on frame.
The Blues continued to be relentless on the offensive end to open the second half but Aderinto made multiple impressive saves to subdue the attack.
Looking to give themselves some breathing room, the Boxers were able to find the back of the net again when
Aidan Heflin was able to gain possession just outside the 18-yard box, turn the ball and fire a shot passed the diving keeper.
Whitman began to play with a sense of urgency following the goal that caused them to trail by two. They scored their lone goal with 13:22 remaining on clock from a penalty kick.
Pacific would defend strong the rest of the way as they earned the 2-1 victory.
What It Means
Pacific earns their first Northwest Conference win of the season. The loss drops Whitman's record to 7-4-1 in conference play.
Up Next
The Boxers look for back-to-back wins on Oct. 30
th when they host Whitworth at 2:30 PM which is also the Boxers Senior Day.
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
Facebook, Instagram and
Twitter.
#GoBoxers
