CCC MEN'S SOCCER TOURNAMENT PRESENTED BY U.S. BANK
Lithia & Driveway Fields | Medford, Oregon
Saturday, Nov. 7 – Quarterfinals
(7) Oregon Tech 3, (2) Carroll 1
(3) Southern Oregon 3, (6) Bushnell 2 (OT)
(8) Warner Pacific 3, (1) Rocky Mountain 3 (PKs: WPU 4, RMC 2)
(4) Eastern Oregon 2, (5) College of Idaho 1 (OT)
Monday, Nov. 9 – Semifinals (at Wheeler Field)
4 p.m. – Southern Oregon vs. Warner Pacific
7 p.m. – Eastern Oregon vs. Oregon Tech
Wednesday, Nov. 11 – Championship (at Wheeler Field)
1 p.m. – Semifinal winners
MEDFORD – For the second time in three weeks, the Southern Oregon men's soccer team made a two-goal deficit against Bushnell disappear. This time, in the quarterfinal round of the Cascade Conference Championships presented by U.S. Bank, the Raiders finished the job.
Junior forward
Ariel De Dios Cruz came back to life just in time, topping off No. 3-seeded SOU's 3-2 comeback victory with a dart of a free kick for the golden goal 51 seconds into overtime on Saturday evening at Lithia & Driveway Fields. The Raiders moved to 12-3-3 and ended the day as the highest remaining seed, advancing to play in Monday's 4 p.m. semifinals against No. 8 seed Warner Pacific.
Following a scoreless first half, they fell into a hole dug by the No. 6-seeded Beacons (10-4-5) with goals in the 58th minute from Teva Mataoa and in the 69th from Liva Rabeary.
With their season potentially winding down, the Raiders leveled with two set pieces in a span of two minutes. The first, in the 72nd, was a corner kick sent by
Cruz Cuevas-George well past the far post, which
Philipp Bundschuh saved from going out of bounds with his head and redirected toward the front of the goal to
Michael Mutchukian for a successful header.
The second, another corner taken by Cuevas-George, was a near-post job that De Dios Cruz streaked in to finish with his head.
When SOU and Bushnell tied two weeks ago in their regular-season matchup, the Beacons went in front with a pair of second-half goals and the Raiders leveled with two more in a span of 83 seconds.
There was no draw the second time around thanks to De Dios Cruz. The Eugene product entered the night as SOU's top scorer with six goals, but he'd gone without one over his last six appearances.
Given a chance at a direct overtime free kick from the left side on top of the box, he fired the most memorable shot of his career: a laser into the top-right corner.
The Beacons only put three shots on frame. They'd been unbeaten on the year until losing four of their last six games.
The Raiders advanced out of the quarterfinals for the first time since 2023. Their NAIA playoff hopes remain alive and well.
