Bearcats Battle Trinity (Texas), but Tigers Win 2-0 on Pair of Late Goals

By Robert McKinney, Assistant Athletics Director, Communications

SAN ANTONIO, Texas -- The Willamette University men's soccer team battled perennial power Trinity University (Texas) to a 0-0 deadlock through the first 80 minutes on Sunday, Sept. 5 before the Tigers scored twice in the final eight minutes for a 2-0 win over the Bearcats. Trinity improved to 2-0 on the season, while Willamette moved to 1-1.

Willamette's defense received strong play from goalkeepers Anthony Richard-Bassett (Sr., GK, Salem, OR/South Salem HS) and Pierluca Carnovale (So., GK, Seattle, WA/Ballard HS) as well as starting defenders Abdul Ali (Jr., D, West Linn, OR/West Linn HS), Max Berner-Hays (Sr., D, Seattle, WA/Ballard HS), Omar Dominguez Pascasio (Sr., D, Madras, OR/Madras HS), and Mack van der Velde (Sr., D, Voorhout, Neth./Summit HS, Bend, OR).

Richard-Bassett started the game and earned two saves while playing 33:21 before an injury forced him to leave the game. Carnovale was in goal for the final 56:39 and registered six saves. Berner-Hays was the only Bearcat who played all 90 minutes. Willamette will complete a stretch of three games in four days when they take on Occidental College (Calif.) at Trinity on Monday, Sept. 6 at 10 a.m. CDT/8 a.m. PDT.

Trinity outshot the Bearcats 24-7, including 10-4 in shots on goal. Even so, the WU defense kept Trinity off the scoreboard for most of the game. The Tigers achieved a 5-4 edge in corner kicks.

The game's first goal was scored by Hunter Cain on an assist from Chen Adjei at 82:00. Adjei provided Cain with a lengthy pass from the midfield and Cain responded with a 25-yard shot into the upper left corner of the goal. With Willamette pressing forward to try to equalize the score, Trinity was able to score on a counter-attack when Michael Meese put the ball into the net on a 10-yard shot from the right side that he slotted past Carnovale at 84:26.

In between the two goals, Willamette took a pair of strong shots that could have tied the game. A shot by van der Velde was blocked by a defender at 82:46. Pierce Gallaway (Jr., M, Carmel, CA/Carmel HS) shot on target at 83:21, forcing a save from Trinity goalie Juan Carlos Vidales, who finished with four saves.

Gallaway and Ryan Sato (Sr., MF, Sunnyvale, CA/Homestead HS) each contributed two shots for the Bearcats. Meese led Trinity with seven shots, including three shots on goal.