Photo by Jeff Barrett
By Calvin Jensen
The No. 14 USU Eastern men’s soccer team took on Pacific Northwest Christian in a Scenic West conference matchup on Saturday. The game started quickly in favor of the Eagles as Jackson Warden scored a goal in the 10th minute, assisted by Armando Escobedo, giving USU Eastern an early 1-0 lead.
However, Pacific Northwest Christian responded in the 26th minute when Edwin Guillen found the net, assisted by Kevin Barrientos, leveling the score at 1-1.
The second half was a different story entirely, with USU Eastern dominating the game. William Mugisha showcased his scoring capabilities, netting three goals in the 47th, 52nd, and 60th minutes, with assists from Jackson Warden and Osvaldo Escalona. This offensive onslaught gave USU Eastern a commanding 4-1 lead.
USU Eastern didn’t stop there. Kevin Nunez joined the scoring spree in the 80th minute, assisted by Jaxson Lesueur, making it 5-1. Lesueur then scored a goal of his own in the 85th minute, pushing the lead to 6-1.
Nunez struck again in the 87th minute, unassisted, and Mugisha completed his offensive attack in the 89th minute with an assist from Nunez. The final score was an impressive 8-1 in favor of USU Eastern.
The team’s performance was impressive with a total of 47 shots on goal and a solid defense as they dominated the field.
USU Eastern’s Diego Useche and his defense allowed just one goal while making a total of three saves. On the other hand, Pacific Northwest Christian’s goalkeeper, Jorge Uribe, faced a barrage of shots and made 16 saves but couldn’t prevent the onslaught.
With the 14th ranked Eagle’s decisive victory, they improve to 9-1-1 on the season and 7-1-1 in SWAC play. They will travel to Henderson, Nev. on Thursday, Oct. 12 to take on the Coyotes of Southern Nevada (3-4-3, 3-4) at 4:30 p.m. MST. Fans can watch the game live on the Scenic West Digital Network.