McMINNVILLE, Ore. – The Wildcats tied it before halftime but let the match slip away in the second half in a 3-1 men's soccer matchup with NAIA Multnomah Thursday night at the Linfield Soccer and Lacrosse Complex.
The Lions drew first blood with a goal by Jaime Cantalejo de Dios in the 27
th minute off an assist by Michael Appiah. Junior
Seamus Miller, the Wildcats' leading scorer in 2021, notched the equalizer in the 32
nd minute for his first goal of the season.
The 'Cats outshot the Lions 7-6 in the second half, but Multnomah goalkeeper Pablo Mendoza made five saves in the period to shut the door on a Lion victory. Matthew Gonzalez scored the game-winner in the 49
th before Appiah hit an insurance goal in the 64
th. Both goals were assisted by Jean Mikael.
Mendoza played the full 90 minutes in goal for the Lions, making eight saves. Junior
Peyton Frazier also played the entire match for the 'Cats, reeling in five saves in his first start of the season.
Miller led Linfield with four shots while
Cameron Gaines had three.
Marques Herrera-Kuehn and
Patrick Moes had two shots on goal apiece. Herrera-Kuehn and
Evan Stafford played the full 90 minutes on the backline.
NEXT
The 'Cats (0-1-0) will hit the road for two more matches against Cascade Collegiate Conference opponents. They play at Eastern Oregon on Saturday before heading farther east to play at The College of Idaho on Labor Day.
