PRESCOTT, Ariz. –
Mustafa Daggig became the first player to start a season with consecutive multi-goal outings in Southern Oregon history, netting two more in a 3-1 win over Embry-Riddle (Ariz.) on Saturday night at Varsity Field.
Daggig, a sophomore from Portland, needed only two days to match his goal total from last year and make the No. 25-ranked Raiders 2-0 on their debut trip. He scored two off the bench in Friday's 3-0 defeat of Benedictine Mesa (Ariz.), then stuck the go-ahead goal in the 23rd minute before tacking on a successful penalty kick three minutes later as a starter against the Eagles (0-1-1).
SOU has won nonleague matchups three years in a row against ERAU, which on Friday earned a draw against College of Idaho, the team picked to finish second behind the Raiders in the Cascade Conference.
Senior forward
Evan Norconk's 20th career goal put SOU ahead in the sixth minute. Two Raiders were credited with assists on the play:
Kaden Barker, who initiated the action with a cross from the left side, and
Kaito Nakayama, who collected the pass and redirected it to Norconk in the box.
The Eagles found an equalizer a few minutes later in the form of Roei Nir's PK. The tie only lasted 14 minutes before
Franco Fasoli sent a pass from the right end line to the far post, where Daggig was waiting for a header.
Daggig delivered his fourth goal of the weekend in the 26th by slotting a PK inside the left post moments after getting tripped up on a breakaway two steps into the box. He accounted for three of SOU's six shots on goal.
SOU was without all-star keeper
Casey Ruvolo. In his place,
Aly Alvarado made two saves as he and the Raiders kept ERAU off the board for the final 81 minutes.
They play their next two counters at home, Aug. 29 against Ottawa (Ariz.) and Aug. 31 against Arizona Christian, before making a trip to No. 15 Westcliff (Calif.) on Sept. 13.