LACEY, Wash. – Northwest Nazarene men's soccer controlled much of the attack but could not find the breakthrough Thursday, settling for a scoreless draw against Saint Martin's at Saints Field.
The Nighthawks generated opportunities from the opening minutes, forcing three saves in the first 12 minutes. Caleb Putney and Jim Wagenaar each tested Saints goalkeeper Connor Leistiko before Alex Barragan put another attempt on frame in the 12th minute.
NNU continued to apply pressure throughout the opening half. Abdullahi Sharif forced a save in the 20th minute before Putney put another shot on goal in the 33rd. The Nighthawks finished the opening 45 minutes with an 8-1 advantage in shots, but the match remained scoreless at halftime.
Northwest Nazarene increased the pressure after the break, earning three corner kicks in the opening nine minutes of the second half. Youssef El Madkouri put an attempt on goal in the 52nd minute before Sharif nearly broke the deadlock in the 55th, sending a shot off the crossbar.
The Nighthawks continued searching for the go-ahead goal late. NNU earned four corner kicks over an eight-minute stretch before Rylan McPherson hit the crossbar in the 87th minute. Kwame Kwakye followed with an attempt on goal less than a minute later, but Leistiko made his seventh save of the match.
Neither side was able to find a goal in the closing minutes as NNU settled for its sixth draw of the season.
The result moved Northwest Nazarene to 8-3-6 overall and 3-2-3 in GNAC play, while Saint Martin's moved to 5-9-2 overall and 0-6-1 in conference action.
By the numbers:
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NNU outshot Saint Martin's 18-5
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The Nighthawks held a 7-1 advantage in shots on goal
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NNU earned nine corner kicks compared to two for Saint Martin's
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Putney, Wagenaar, Sharif and McPherson each recorded three shots
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Putney led the Nighthawks with two shots on goal
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Sharif and McPherson each hit the crossbar in the second half
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Elijah Brockl made one save to record the shutout
