Box Score
NAMPA, Idaho – It's the kind of day coach Coe Michaelson has been waiting for from Fredy Razo, and it provided a very happy season ending.
Northwest Nazarene's prolific junior goal-scorer, Razo, netter four goals to tie a school record and make "Senior Day" a very happy celebration.
"There's no other way you'd rather go out than a game like this," NNU coach Coe Michaelson said after Saturday's 5-1 victory over Montana State Billings in the season and Great Northwest Athletic Conference finale for both teams on the NNU campus.
"I think the two themes for me on the day are, one, there's not a better player in our conference than Fredy, and two, those five seniors that were out here today meant a lot to the program. There's no doubt we're in a better place then before they here."
Along with being a happy ending for the NNU seniors, the win vaults the Crusaders (5-7-5 overall, 5-6-3 GNAC) into the top four in the GNAC.
The five seniors honored prior to Saturday's game were goalie Ruben Cortez, midfielders John DiLulo, Jaime Torres and Daniel Clark, and forward Evan Horwood.
After honoring those five, Razo went to work, drawing a foul just inside the Yellowjackets' goal box in the 12th minute of play.
Awarded a penalty shot, the GNAC's scoring leader, notched his first of the day with 11:21 gone off the clock.
Razo then netted his second of the day 7:22 later, putting home a rebound of a Juan Perez shot.
Perez took a long pass forward from Torres and broke in alone on Yellowjackets keeper Eosin Hurley, who made the initial save before Razo booted home the rebound.
MSU Billings (3-10-5, 3-6-5) made it a closer game when Thorge Jess headed home a corner kick in the 29th minute, but the Crusaders made sure "Senior Day" wasn't spoiled by dominating the second half.
Alfredo Zendejas found Razo at the top of the box in the 60th minute, and NNU's scoring machine turned and fired goal No. 3 inside the right post.
Razo then capped his record-tying day in the 69th minute, scoring his second penalty-kick goal of the match.
"I think if you ask him he would say he feels like he should have had a game like this a long time ago," Michaelson said. "He's threatened to do it all year."
Razo's four goals tied the school record put up by Essa Gaye twice in the 1978 season, and once each by Jeff Schatz (1983) and Igor Muniz (1997).
It also matches the record for goals by one player in a GNAC game, as Western Washington's Samir Vejo and St. Martin's Xan Nixon each netted four in a league contests. Both Vejo and Nixon completed their feat in the 2008 season, ironically, both against NNU.
The Crusaders weren't quit done there, though, as Torres sent a free kick into the net from 25 yards out, capping the game's scoring with 2:27 remaining.
And capping a very memorable career for NNU's five seniors.
"It's nothing less than they deserve," Michaelson said. "They're good guys and I think they should walk away not only feeling good about their soccer experiences, but as I told them at the end, they're leaving this great school as better men."
