Box Score
PORTLAND, Ore. --- With the score tied in the second half, Loyola Marymount’s Juan De Rada scored the go-ahead goal in the 59th minute and the Lions would hold on for a 2-1 win over the Portland Pilots in a West Coast Conference men’s soccer game at Merlo Field on Friday night. The Lions won despite the Pilots holding a sizable 19-9 advantage in shots.
The Pilots (6-9-1, 4-5-0 WCC) were relentless with their attack in the second half but were ultimately denied by the LMU (4-10-3, 2-5-2 WCC) defense and goalkeeper Paul Blanchette. In the 65th minute, Portland had a pair of good looks, but Mark Tonkel had his shot saved and Colin Anderson drilled his shot high.
Keith Grubisich then had his header saved off of a nice corner kick sent in by Joe Sleven in the 76th minute, and Evans sent a strike high moments later.
Blanchette would finish with six saves, while Portland keeper Justin Baarts made three stops.
The first half was wide open and the Lions were able to score during the game’s opening minute. Blanchette played a long ball forward that bounced off a couple of players before falling to the feet of Sean Sears. Sears finished inside the left post from 12 yards out to give the Lions a 1-nil lead just 48 seconds into the match.
The score would remain 1-nil in LMU’s favor until the final seconds of the first half. Mitchell Lurie sent a ball over the top that Michael Escobar got to before it reached the end line. Escobar then sent a cross towards the top of the box where Dustin Munger unleashed a shot towards the top left corner of the frame. Blanchette did get a hand on it, but the well-hit shot bounced off Blanchette and snuck in just below the cross bar with two seconds showing on the clock.
It’s the first career goal for Munger, a freshman out of Lafayette, Ore.
The Pilots nearly answered within minutes of LMU’s early goal as Hugo Rhoads had a shot saved, while Evans blasted one wide.
The Pilots next play their final home match of the regular season on Sunday as the San Diego Toreros visit for a 1 p.m. match at Merlo Field. Portland will honor its six seniors, Colin Anderson, Ricardo Carrillo, Keith Grubisich, Ben Hemphill, Joe Sleven and Marc Tonkel with a pre-game ceremony.
