Box Score LA MIRADA, Calif. --- It may not mean anything for the record books, as it came in an exhibition, but a win is a win, and the Eagles got one in grand style over the University of Fraser Valley to open their 2014 campaign.
 
It was the team's first time seeing game action this season, following just about a week and a half of training as a team. The rust showed just a bit from the outset of this contest, as the high-octane Cascades were able to control the ball and pace of play through the first 10-15 minutes thanks to a pressure defense.
 
"It was a little bit of a slow start, because they are a team that does well pressuring," said Head Coach Todd Elkins. "They definitely did that early and we just did not deal well with it."
 
The pressure defense gave Biola less time to settle into its offensive game plan and forced mistimed passes and some early offensive efforts that were not called for and turned into opportunities in the other direction.
 
One of the first such plays occurred in the fifth minute, when a Biola turnover forced its defense into a tough spot that caused a Fraser Valley corner kick. The corner kick was swept into the box and James Najman connected for a goal to the near post. This gave the usually slow-scoring Cascades a quick 1-0 lead.
 
"They produced a couple of corners early, and on one of those corners they somehow scored a goal," said Elkins.
 
After the goal, Biola began to find where the pressure defense was leaving holes on the pitch and was able to begin getting the majority of the solid offensive looks. The Eagles got the next five shots off after the goal, and that fifth shot was ultimately the equalizer.
 
Stephen Tanquary, who netted five goals in 2013, got his year started off on the right foot when he and Sava Pantic connected on a breakaway run in the 14^th minute to knot the contest at one.
 
Following the equalizer the game turned into a battle of wills, between the Cascades' finely tuned defense and the Eagles' patient offensive attack. The two sides were deadlocked for most of the remainder of the half, but the Eagles' new No. 10, Joey O'Keefe could not be contained for too much longer.
 
On his third shot of the game, the junior All-GSAC midfielder turned a beautiful through ball by Tanquary into cash money, when he scored the go-ahead number. He will be a key cog to the Eagles' offensive attack this season, as he looks to build upon last year's eight-goal output.
 
Biola would maintain its slim lead throughout the remainder of the first half, and ultimately the remainder of the contest. This gives them a confidence-boosting victory to take into their final two tune-ups before the regular season begins.
 
The match tonight was a good opportunity for Elkins to get a good look at what he has to work with in the Eagles' incoming crop of new players. Six of the team's newcomers saw time on the pitch tonight, with one of them, Keaton Kerr, getting a start.
 
"I was pleased with the new players," said Elkins. "I saw good work rate and intensity from them. The team has been training together for a week and a half in training camp, but this is the first time they all competed together against somebody else."
 
JT Addington earned the start between the pipes and was perfect, besides the dribbler let in off the corner kick early, and Joshua Crichton finished it up with 45 minutes of a clean sheet.
 
Biola will play two scrimmages prior to kicking off the official preseason contests with a home match against Bethesda Sept. 1.