Beavers, Bulldogs Win at OSU’s Zaher/Hensor Memorial

The two-day event concludes Saturday with UC Davis (2-3) meeting Xavier (1-3) at 5:00 PM, followed by Oregon State (4-1) against Gonzaga (2-2-1) at 7:30 PM.

File photo Courtesy: OSU Beavers

CORVALLIS - Senior forward Robbie Findley had a goal and two assists to lead the Oregon State men’s soccer team to a 3-0 victory over UC Davis at the OSU Zaher/Hensor Memorial at Lorenz Field on Friday night. In the first game, a short-handed Gonzaga team defeated Xavier, 3-0.

Freshman forward Justin Woodward scored his first collegiate goal and sophomore midfielder Josh Cameron also scored for the Beavers, who are off to their best start since also beginning the 2002 season 4-1.

“It was a great win,” OSU Coach Dana Taylor said. “I thought that UC Davis brought a ton of energy to the game. I thought both teams competed. I told the guys at halftime that it felt like a Pac-10 game. Both teams worked very hard the entire 90 minutes and it was a very hard-fought game.”

OSU put a barrage of headers toward the UC Davis net in the first 10 minutes. Findley had two on goal (one cleared off the line by a UCD defender), and junior defender Alex Christensen put one high.

In the 30th minute, the Beavers struck for their first goal. Junior defender Brett Gardner sent a long ball up from his left back position.

Findley brought it down, took a couple of dribbles toward the middle, paused just outside the top of the box and drilled a laser inside the left post.

It was Findley’s first goal of the season and the 23rd his career, giving him sole possession of fourth place on OSU’s all-time list.

The Aggies’ Dylan Curtis gave his team two solid chances to equalize with two hard shots from the left wing in the first 10 minutes of the second half, but each went a few feet right of the goal.

Oregon State also kept up the pressure in the second half.

Senior forward Bryan Jordan got a breakaway in the 47th minute, but UCD goalkeeper Charles Warne came out to smother his shot attempt.

The Beavers made it 2-0 in the 55th minute.

Junior midfielder Hiroshi Nishito sent in a cross from the right side. Findley got a leg on it, and the ball deflected off an Aggie defender to Cameron on the left side.

Cameron had a lot of open net to choose from, and he scored easily for his second goal of the season.

The Beavers’ third goal came in the 74th minute.

Findley had the ball on the counterattack and took it to the edge of the box. He waited, then sent a no-look pass off to his left for the streaking Woodward.

UCD goalkeeper Brian Wickers got his hand on Woodward’s shot, but not enough to prevent the ball from going to the back of the net.

In the first game, Gonzaga got two goals and an assist from George Josten, helping the Bulldogs to a short-handed victory. They got off to a rough start, as the Bulldogs’ Peter Peterson was red-carded in the 14th minute for a hard two-footed tackle.

It didn’t affect the Bulldogs much, however, as their first goal came in the 22nd minute. On a fast-break, Grant Lundberg made a run with the ball down the left side. He spotted George Josten running down the right side of the field, and his well-placed cross-field pass just made it over the last Xavier defender’s head. Josten took the pass in stride, bore down on goal and shot the ball past the outcoming goalkeeper for his third goal of the season.

Gonzaga made it 2-0 in the 33rd minute on a quick-strike counterattack. Ben Sawyer slid in to take the ball away from a Xavier attacker in the midfield and popped it high in the air downfield. Josten flicked it on with his head to Tye Perdido, who split two defenders and went in one-on-one against the goalkeeper. He scored for his first goal of the season.

Josten’s second goal of the game and his fourth of the season was a brilliant individual effort in the 76th minute. He took the ball in the final third of the field and weaved his way past several Xavier defenders and the Musketeer goalkeeper before finishing from a few yards out.

Xavier outshot Gonzaga, 13-7, but Bulldog goalkeeper Vito Higgins needed only two saves to get the shutout, as many of the Musketeer shots were from long distance and went high or wide.

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