Box Score

NAMPA, Idaho — This time the Crusaders would not be denied.

The Northwest Nazarene men's soccer team bounced back from a disheartening setback on Thursday, dominating play for a 2-0 victory over Western Washington in Great Northwest Athletic Conference action at Finkbeiner Park on the NNU campus on Saturday.

"We were really disappointed after Thursday," NNU head men's soccer coach Coe Michaelson said. "It was a game we rightfully deserved to win and so as a coach you wonder what the reaction will be.

"To respond in the way we did showed the character of our team," Michaelson added. 

After hitting a goal post and the crossbar in a 1-0 setback on Thursday against visiting Simon Fraser, the Crusaders (11-3-1 overall, 8-2-1 GNAC) made certain the same thing wouldn't happen against the Vikings as Rene Duevel netted the very first shot on goal for NNU.
 

With 10 minutes, 4 seconds gone off the game clock, Duevel took in a pass on the left side of the goal box and beat Western Washington keeper Keegan Rogers inside the right post for 1-0 NNU lead.

Julio Castillo set up the play, sending a long pass forward to Erik Anderson at the top of the goal box, and Anderson moved the ball forward to Duevel for what proved to be the game-winner.

Not that NNU let up, as the Crusaders kept pushing the attack and nearly went up 2-0 if not for a diving save by Rogers in the 42^nd minute.

But the Crusaders still wanted more and finally got a two-goal lead when Jaime Verdin sent a free kick from the right of the goal box to Castillo, who headed home his first goal of the seconds with 3:56 gone in the final half.

From there, the Crusader defense and goalkeeper Alfredo E. Ontiveros made the two-goal cushion hold up, despite being outshot, 18-13, by the Vikings (7-7-1, 5-5-1).

Ontiveros finished with six saves in the win, but none was bigger than a diving stop on Conner Pichette, who broke in alone with 7 minutes left only to see his shot punched away by the right hand of Ontiveros, who made a diving save.

"Onti showed why he is one of the best goalkeepers in the country today," Michaelson said. "His route back after back surgery has been a long one.

"I am so proud of him today," NNU's coach added of Ontiveros, "what a great leader and great young man he is."

Ontiveros' diving save helped seal the Crusader keeper's seventh shutout of the season and the 16^th of his career at NNU.

And gave the Crusaders a big win as they now prepare for clash with GNAC-leading and No. 3-ranked Seattle Pacific, which visits the NNU campus Thursday at 1:30 p.m.