FOREST GROVE, Ore. – The Northwest University men's soccer team traveled to Forest Grove, Ore., on Tuesday, Aug. 25, taking on Pacific University at Hanson Stadium. The Eagles battled throughout the match but ultimately fell to the Boxers, 2-1.
Pacific opened the scoring in the 25th minute when Nico Lomanto found the back of the net to give the Boxers a 1-0 lead heading into halftime. Northwest goalkeeper Bailey Hopkins kept the Eagles within striking distance, recording three saves in the opening half.
Northwest came out of the halftime break looking to find an equalizer and continued to create opportunities. The Eagles finished the match with five shots, including two on goal.
The Eagles found their breakthrough in the 81st minute. After a Pacific foul inside the box, Dustin Le stepped up and converted the penalty kick to even the match at 1-1. Le finished the game with two shots, one on goal, and the Eagles' lone goal.
Pacific responded just under two minutes later, with Cole Affolter scoring in the 83rd minute off an assist from Nolan Hunt to put the Boxers back in front, 2-1. Northwest was unable to find another equalizer before the final whistle.
Hopkins played all 90 minutes in goal for the Eagles, making three saves on five Pacific shots on goal. Pacific held a 13-5 advantage in total shots and recorded three corner kicks compared to none for Northwest.
Following the match, Northwest Head Coach Gary McIntosh reflected on the team's continued preparation and the opportunities the Eagles are getting throughout the preseason.
"Today was another step forward in our progression as we continue preparing for the start of the season. Obviously, not winning the game is frustrating, because the goal is always to compete and find a way to win. At the same time, we're an injury-depleted team right now, and that has given us an opportunity to get valuable minutes for a lot of different guys.
"Those minutes are important, because we're still trying to figure out what each player can bring to the team, what they do best, and where they can be most effective on the field. We're learning a lot about our guys and giving them opportunities to gain experience in different situations.
"There are certainly things we need to clean up and continue to improve on, but that's part of the process right now. Every game, practice, and opportunity is helping us build toward where we want to be. Our focus is to keep getting better, get guys healthy, and continue figuring out our rotations and roles as we prepare for the start of conference play."
The Eagles will return home on Saturday, Aug. 29, for an 11 a.m. PT matchup against Ottawa University Arizona. Northwest will look to build on its preseason experience as the team continues preparing for the start of conference play.
Next Up:
Northwest University vs. Ottawa University Arizona
Saturday, Aug. 29 | 11:00 a.m. PT
Kirkland, Wash. | Northwest University
