HERMISTON, Ore. – Argo soccer got the offensive explosion it was hoping for against the College of Idaho. UGF took 26 shots and finally turned scoring chances into goals for a 5-0 win.
For three of their past four games the Argonauts have consistently controlled the pace of play and dramatically outshot their opponents but went 1-2 in those matches with just one goal.
Against COI the key to unleashing the full potency of the Argo offense seemed to be scoring early.
That early goal came in the seventh minute from team captain Jon-Eric Krans. The goal was the fifth of the season for the senior forward and was assisted by fellow senior Renan Zampieri.
"I thought we came out right from the start and had our foot on the gas," UGF head coach Joseph Yeisley said. "We created a lot of opportunities and put a few away, which was nice."
The next goal was awhile coming but started a run of four in a span of just over 20 minutes.
In the 36th minute junior forward Ian Ooko found the team's leading scorer Louis Torres who tallied his seventh of the year. Ooko then scored a goal of his own eight minutes later to give the Argos a 3-0 lead at the half.
"We recently talked about the need for effort plays in the final third if we were going to breakout," Yeisley said. Our first and third goals were pure effort plays. Those are the type of goals you have to score this time of year if you want to advance."
The UGF defense, which has limited opponents' chances throughout the year but with one or two lapses in focus during most games, didn't allow a shot on goal in the opening period. That play continued in the second half, with the Yotes managing four shots, only one of which required a save from freshman keeper Marc Girones.
With their confidence rebuilt as a result of the first half, UGF's attack created two more goal. The first came from Zampieri in the 56th minute and was quickly followed by a second score from Krans in the 59th.
The score could have been worse if not for the ten save effort from COI's keeper Lucas MacMillan. MacMillan faced 26 shots from UGF, 17 of which were on net.
With a spot on the conference playoffs already secure, the win helped keep the Argo's favorable seeding. Their record now stands at 10-5 (8-3) with two more regular season contests. Next on the schedule is a road game against Multnomah University on October 30 at 3:30 p.m.
"We still have to be more consistent and efficient with our finishing, but the guys are on the right path," Yeisley said. "It's going to be a fun next few weeks."
