PORTLAND – Southern Oregon got an early leg up in the Cascade Conference men's soccer race by winning a battle of championship hopefuls Friday at the Eastside Timbers Sports Complex.

The Raiders took a 2-0 decision from Warner Pacific, winner of the last two CCC regular season titles and the favorite to repeat again, on the opening day of circuit play. Adrian Villegas assisted both goals, setting up Alan Gaytan in the first half and Evan Norconk in the second.

The Raiders, picked to finish second in the CCC, moved to 5-1 overall. The Knights went to 3-2, losing at home for the first time since 2019. Both teams received votes in this week's NAIA Top 25 coaches' poll.

The shutout was SOU's third of the year, and sophomore keeper Casey Ruvolo preserved it by establishing a new career high with eight saves.

Villegas' assists were his second and third, running his team-best point total to nine. In the 20th minute, he redirected Sam Walker's pass to Gaytan for his first goal of the season and the 28th of his career, padding his SOU record.

Two minutes into the second half, Norconk tallied his fourth goal in SOU's last five games.

The result ended a streak of 30 consecutive CCC regular season games in which the Knights scored at least one goal.

They were responsible for ending SOU's season last fall, using penalty kicks to advance past the Raiders after a scoreless tie in the CCC Tournament semifinals. The teams also fought to a draw in the 2022 regular season.

The Raiders visit Multnomah at noon Saturday before making their home debut Sept. 22 against Corban.