PORTLAND, Ore. – Santa Clara men's soccer twice fell behind by two goals, cut it to a one-goal deficit each time but were unable to overcome it and lost 5-2 to No. 21 Portland on Saturday night at Merlo Field. Alex Waggoner and Joe Highfield each scored a brace to help Portland clinch the regular season West Coast Conference title.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
- Portland (9-3-2, 6-0-0 WCC) scored in the 16th and 19th minutes to take a 2-0 but the Broncos answered in the 22nd minute to chop the lead in half 2-1, only for the Pilots to score at the 40th minute mark to enter halftime with a 3-1 lead.
- Less than two minutes into the second half, a Portland own goal once again brought Santa Clara within a goal at 3-2 but the Pilots closed out with two more goals in the 65th and 78th minute for the final margin.
- For Santa Clara (4-8-3, 1-3-3 WCC), Ezana Alemayehu was involved in both Bronco goals. He tallied his first career goal midway through the first half with a sliding shot on a cross from Isaiah Teng that got past goalkeeper Miguel-Angel Hernandez. On Portland's own goal, it was Alemayehu's shot that was redirected by a Pilot player into the net.
- Waggoner got Portland on the board first in the 16th minute when he poked the ball past Jackson Ozburn off set piece passes from Highfield and Diego Rosas.
- Three minutes later, Highfield's left-footed blast from 20 yards out beat Ozburn that doubled the lead.
- Following Alemayehu's goal, Anton Hjalmarsson, who moments earlier checked into the game, closed out the first half scoring heading in a cross from Rosas to put the Pilots up by two goals again.
- After the own goal made it a one-goal game at 3-2, Highfield and Waggoner each scored their second goals of the game to push the lead out to 5-2.
- The Broncos had an opportunity to close the gap but Diego Jalleau's penalty kick was denied by Hernandez in the 80th minute.
NOTABLE NUMBERS / GAME NOTES:
- Santa Clara leads the series 26-22-9.
- Portland outshot Santa Clara 18-6 including a 9-2 advantage on frame.
- Waggoner had a game-high five shots and tied with Highfield with three shots on goal.
- Jalleau led the Broncos with three shots.
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