SALEM, Ore. – With just 11 seconds remaining in regulation, junior Jeff Roland (Tacoma, Wash./South Puget Sound CC) put in the game-winner as the Evergreen Geoducks earned a 1-0 win over the Corban Warriors in a Cascade Conference men’s soccer match on Saturday afternoon at Warrior Field in Salem, Ore.

The game-winner came at the 89:49 mark as Willie Spurr (Seattle, Wash./Roosevelt HS) sent in a corner kick in the closing seconds and Roland one-timed  the attempted clearance from about 35 yards out, sneaking the ball into the upper-right corner for his third goal of the week and fourth of the season.

The Warriors dominated the game offensively, outshooting the Geoducks, 22-5, on the match but junior Mauricio Sanchez (Wenatchee, Wash./Wenatchee Valley CC) was a wall in goal, making six saves to collect the shutout.

With the win, the Geoducks clinch a spot in the postseason for the first time since 2005.  Evergreen also tied the school record for most conference wins in a season with nine, which was coincidently last achieved in 2005.

The Geoducks return home on Wednesday when they take on Warner Pacific on Evergreen Pitch, beginning at 3 p.m.

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SPRINGFIELD, Ore. – Jeff Roland (Tacoma, Wash./South Puget Sound CC) scored twice and Mirza Memic (Bellevue, Wash./Whatcom CC) added a goal and an assist as the Evergreen Geoducks collected a 3-0 win over the Northwest Christian Beacons in a Cascade Conference men’s soccer match on Wednesday evening at Mike Kelly Field in Springfield, Ore.

The Geoducks (8-5-0, 8-2-0 CCC) took the lead in the 36th minute as Memic got past a Northwest Christian (3-9-2, 1-7-2 CCC) defender before putting the ball past Erik Carrazco for the score.  Evergreen held an 8-4 advantage on shots in the first half as they took the 1-0 lead into the break.

In the second half, senior Kevin Flavin (Oak Harbor, Wash./Shoreline CC) sent in a cross to the front of the goal in the 59th minute and Roland picked up his first goal of the night, firing it past Carrazco.  Just a few minutes later, Roland did it again, this time on the assist by Memic, as the Geoducks earned the 3-0 win.

Despite 10 Northwest Christian shots on the night,the duo of Mauricio Sanchez (Wenatchee, Wash./Wenatchee Valley CC)  and Mitch Treend (Vancouver, Wash./Prairie HS) didn’t have to do much to earn the clean sheet as no Beacon shots found the frame.

The win also sets a new season high for head coach John Purtteman, who earns his 68th career win and 35th career conference win with the shutout.  The Geoducks sit just one win back of their previous record for conference wins of nine, reached most recently in 2005.

Evergreen will go for win number nine on Saturday afternoon when they take on Corban, beginning at 3pm at Warrior Field in Salem, Ore.

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OLYMPIA, Wash. – On a wet and windy Saturday afternoon, the 18th-ranked Concordia Cavaliers battled to a win over the Evergreen Geoducks, 4-1, in a Cascade Conference men’s soccer match on Evergreen Pitch in Olympia, Wash.

The first half’s lone score came in the 42nd minute as Evergreen keeper Mauricio Sanchez (Wenatchee, Wash./Wenatchee Valley CC) lost control of the ball following a save on a shot by CU’s Septi Danciu and Jordan Green got a boot on the loose ball, firing it in from point blank for a 1-0 halftime lead.

In the second half, Concordia pushed the lead to 2-0 in the 48th minute as Gerrit Hamann sent in a cross from the right side and Sam Carmichael fought his way to the left post to finish past Sanchez.  The Geoducks cut the lead in the 51st minute as Jeremy Novack (Lake Forest Park, Wash./Shorecrest HS) gathered a corner from Jeff Roland (Tacoma, Wash./South Puget Sound CC) and put it past Scott Gross from about six yards out.

At the 61 minute mark, Concordia struck again as Green earned his second of the afternoon following a Sanchez save on a shot by Carmichael.  The Cavaliers rounded out the scoring in the 71st minute as Michael Chamberlain put in a shot that was saved by Sanchez but Hamann was there for the rebound and his shot bounced off the bottom of the crossbar and in for the 4-1 win.

Concordia held a 19-11 advantage on shots, including 13-6 on goal.  Sanchez made nine saves for the Geoducks while Gross made five stops to earn the win for the Cavs.

The Geoducks will next be in action on Wednesday when they travel to Eugene, Ore. to take on Northwest Christian.  Concordia next plays next Friday as they host Oregon Tech in a CCC counter.

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CALDWELL, Idaho – Freshman Willie Spurr (Seattle, Wash./Roosevelt HS) scored his seventh goal of the season and the Evergreen Geoducks collected their third straight shutout as they earned a 1-0 win over the College of Idaho Coyotes in a Cascade Conference men’s soccer match on Wednesday afternoon at Simplot Stadium in Caldwell, Idaho.

In the first half, it looked like the Geoducks might take a lead into the halftime break as a shot by Spurr was cleared off the goal line by the Yotes’ Chenjerai Simpson in the 40th minute.  However, Spurr finally got the ball in the net in the 51st minute, taking a long pass from George Bundy (Enumclaw, Wash./Enumclaw HS) before firing it past C of I keeper Colin Benham-Marin for the lone goal of the match.

College of Idaho held a 13-9 advantage on shots but Geoduck keeper Mauricio Sanchez (Wenatchee, Wash./Wenatchee Valley CC) made six saves to collect his second shutout in just his second appearance of the season.  Benham-Marin also did his job in net, making four saves for the Yotes.

With the win, the Geoducks improved to 7-4-0 overall and 7-1-0 in Cascade Conference play.  The seven conference wins are the most in the seven-year tenure of head coach John Purtteman.  In addition, it is the most conference wins for the Geoducks since 2005, when Evergreen posted a second-straight 9-3 seasons under Tom Boatright.  Both the 2004 and 2005 teams starred Joe Gjertsen, current member of the San Jose Earthquakes of Major League Soccer.

The Geoducks return to Olympia on Saturday afternoon as they play host to first-place and 18th-ranked Concordia in a pivotal Cascade Conference showdown.  First kick with the Cavs is set for 1 p.m. at Evergreen Pitch in Olympia, Wash.

Box Score

OLYMPIA, Wash. – Wrapping up the first half of conference play, the Evergreen Geoducks earned a 2-0 win over the Northwest Christian Beacons in a Cascade Conference men’s soccer match on Saturday afternoon at Evergreen Pitch in Olympia, Wash.

It didn’t take long for the Geoducks to get on the board as Ethan Sumlin (Centennial, Colo./Littleton HS) collected the rebound following an attempt by Dyson Fowler (North Bend, Wash./Mt. Si HS) and fired it in for the 1-0 lead in just the 18th minute.

Evergreen extended the lead in the 24th minute as Jeff Roland (Windsor, Colo./Windsor HS) learned from Sumlin’s score, collecting the rebound following a shot by Mirza Memic (Bellevue, Wash./Whatcom CC) and putting in his first goal of the season to give the Geoducks the 2-0 lead.

After out-shooting the Beacons, 10-3, in the first half, the Geoducks went on the defensive in the second period, holding just a 4-2 edge in shots but it was enough to earn their sixth win of the season to remain in second place in the CCC table with 18 points.

The Geoducks head to Caldwell, Idaho on Wednesday afternoon to take on College of Idaho before returning to Olympia next Saturday for a showdown with first-place Concordia (Ore.).

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