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Scoreboard

MSOC 0921
0
OUAZ OUAZ (3-5)
1
Winner Biola BU-MS (1-3-1)
OUAZ OUAZ
(3-5)
0
Final
1
Biola BU-MS
(1-3-1)
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
OUAZ OUAZ 0 0 0
Biola BU-MS 1 0 1

Game Recap: Men's Soccer | | Brandon Taylor, Assistant Sports Information Director

Eagles Break Through For First Win

Biola dominated the first half in its 1-0 shutout over OUAZ.

LA MIRADA, Calif. --- Relentless was the word Head Coach Todd Elkins used to describe the Eagles' style of the play in the first half on Thursday. Biola had an iron grip on possession and took an early lead in the first period that propelled it to a 1-0 shutout over the Ottawa University Arizona Spirit.

The win gives the Eagles (1-3-1) an upward lift as they head into their first PacWest contest on Saturday against Dixie State University. The loss is the third consecutive defeat for the Spirit and drops it to 3-5.

"We needed to win no matter what the score was going to be," said Elkins. That first half is the best half we've played by quite a bit this season and a few things clicked for us."

One glance at the box score communicates the gist of this match. Biola took a hefty 20 shots in the first half and forced the visiting keeper to make five save in the first 45 minutes. And within the first 10 minutes after the opening whistle, the Eagles had taken a corner kick and six shots without surrendering a single chance at goal to the Spirit.

"I thought we were relentless in the first half," said Elkins. "[Our shots] weren't always perfect and they weren't always pretty but the combination play was good and we were getting something out of the play every time."  

It did not take long for Biola to chip away for the first goal of the match. In the 14th minute Kousei Mattox send another tight inswinger into the 18-yard box filled with Eagles. Mattox's ball was perfectly placed for Senior Sammy McKay to smash a header past keeper Antony Siaha at the far right post.

The goal is the first of the season for McKay and the third to come on a header for Biola.

The Eagles continued to press after their first strike by taking the next eight shots in the contest. OUAZ's first shot finally came in the 32nd minute when Omar Centeno forced Igor Puglia to make his first save of the night.

Thereafter, the Spirit slowly climbed back in the match to make it a battle in the trenches with Biola. Both teams took an equal number of shots in the second half (6) and the Spirit produced one more corner kick than the Eagles

"For us, I thought we went off script in the second half and did not continue the things we did in the first half," said Elkins. But with that said, I can't fault the guys when you win and get a shutout."

Puglia earned his second shutout of the season on Thursday with three saves and an apt command of his box during the Spirit's final push in the concluding 10 minutes.

The Eagles will now travel to St. George, Utah to take on the Dixie State Trailerblazers. The men's match is scheduled to kickoff at 11:30 a.m.
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