gieber
Al Case, Ashland Daily Photo
Kelly Gieber had three assists Friday. (Al Case, Ashland Daily Photo.)
1
College of Idaho CI (4-11-0, 3-9-0)
4
Winner Southern Oregon SOU (11-2-2, 9-1-2)
College of Idaho CI
(4-11-0, 3-9-0)
1
Final
4
Southern Oregon SOU
(11-2-2, 9-1-2)
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
College of Idaho CI 0 1 1
Southern Oregon SOU 2 2 4

Game Recap: Men's Soccer | | SOU Sports Information

Raiders rough up Yotes, stay in title contention

ASHLAND – Two months ago, coaches around the Cascade Conference had the second-year Southern Oregon men's soccer team pegged to finish eight in the standings. On Saturday, the Raiders will play for their first title, or at least a share of one, in the regular-season finale.

Friday afternoon's 4-1 win over College of Idaho at Raider Stadium ensured that much. The Raiders (11-2-2 overall, 9-1-2 CCC), who have won five straight and are unbeaten in their last nine games, caught the Yotes (4-11, 3-9) off guard, scoring 35 seconds into the game and piling on from there.

Freshman Kelly Gieber assisted Ahmon Afenegus for the first goal and went on to assist two more as Paul Matyas scored in the 14th minute and Travis Hopkins and Matyas tacked on goals in the second half.

SOU stayed in a first-place tie with Corban and Rocky Mountain, which both won their games Friday, and Evergreen has a chance to make it a four-way tie pending the outcome of its game at Northwest Christian. The Raiders host Rocky, the defending CCC champion, at 12 p.m. Saturday. Nothing will be decided until later, though, when Corban hosts Evergreen at 6 p.m.

In the event there is still a tie after tomorrow's action, the tiebreaker – along with the No. 1 seed in the CCC tournament and an automatic spot in the national tournament – will go to whomever owns the best head-to-head win percentage among the tied teams.

The Raiders lost their meeting with Corban and tied Evergreen. They're guaranteed no worse than the No. 4 seed for the conference tournament.

The Yotes were defeated for the eighth time in nine games but had already been eliminated from playoff contention. They received a punch to the gut in the opening moments when Gieber crossed to Afenegus, who connected from a difficult angle by kicking on the fly a yard off the end line and a few yards away from the goal.

Gieber's corner kick from left of goal then found Matyas in the 14th minute, and Matyas' 10-yard shot from right to left snuck through with Afenegus shielding the keeper. In the 50th minute Hopkins skipped a 13-yard shot from straight on inside the right post, and in the 56th Matyas recorded his fourth goal of the season when Gieber's corner went to Sean McManamon on the far post and he flung to a pass to an easy header.

Gieber brought his assist total from two to five. He's the second Raider to register three in a game; Roberto Lupera did it earlier this season at Walla Walla.

Mehmed Selimovic scored C of I's goal in the 60th minute on a 22-yard free kick. SOU keeper saved one of the Yotes' shots, while one hit the crossbar and another hit the post.
 
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