Box Score

PORTLAND, Ore. --- After 97 minutes of scoreless soccer, Gerardo Mendoza was able to chip in the game-winner to give the Saint Mary’s Gaels a 1-0 win over the Portland Pilots in a West Coast Conference men’s soccer game played on Sunday afternoon at Merlo Field. The loss evens Portland’s record at 3-3-0 in the WCC, while the Pilots now sit at 5-7-1 overall.
 
Saint Mary’s improves to 7-3-3 overall and to 3-2-1 in the conference.
 
Mendoza’s goal came in dramatic fashion as he was able to chip a shot over a hard-charging Justin Baarts, Portland’s junior goalkeeper. Baarts was drawn off his line by a long ball sent over the top from SMC’s Bobby Connor, and Mendoza just did beat Baarts to the ball as the two collided after the shot from 20 yards out.
 
The ball took a couple of bounces before going in.
 
The game-winner came after Portland nearly won the game at the end of regulation. Saint Mary’s keeper Andre Rawls made a sprawling, diving save on a header from Keith Grubisich in the 89th minute, and Derek Boggs sent a shot high of the crossbar on the rebound.
 
Rawls finished with four saves to register the shutout, while Baarts countered with three. Portland also had a team save, which came when Joe Sleven cleared a shot off the goal line in the 76th minute. A header from Connor seemed destined for the goal, but Sleven was there to head it away.
 
Portland out-shot Saint Mary’s 12-11, and the Pilots had ample opportunities during the first half to break the scoreless tie. In the 17th minute, Michael Escobar was the recipient of a through ball from Jaime Velasco, but Escobar’s shot from 12 yards out was denied by Rawls.
 
The Pilots don’t play again until heading to Santa Clara, Calif., for a league match against the Santa Clara Broncos on Friday, Oct. 26. Santa Clara defeated the Pilots 3-2 in overtime on Friday night at Merlo Field.
 
The game with the Broncos will be broadcast live on nationally on Fox Soccer Channel, and kickoff is set for 7 p.m.