GREAT FALLS, Mont. – One great individual effort and one great team goal gave Argo soccer its first Cascade Collegiate Conference win of the season, defeating Eastern Oregon University 2-1 in overtime. Not only was the first conference win for UGF, but it was also the team's first time pulling out a victory in a tight contest this season. UGF's only other win was a 5-0 victory in non-conference play.
"Today was a good win for the boys. We have had a lot of close games this year and it was nice to get on the winning end of one of those," UGF Head Coach Joseph Yeisley said. "The boys responded really well when EOU tied it up and I thought we showed a lot of character to pull that one out."
The team need that character after leading for much of the second half but letting up an equalizer on a counter attack in the 79th minute. Not only did that goal tie up the game but it also say Rasmus Madsen, the team's starting center back who returned from an injury to play his first minutes of 2016, leave the game after irritating an existing ailment.
UGF hung on for the rest of the half to force overtime and, after a scary moment early in the first overtime period, found a way to win the game. The game winner came six minutes into that first sudden death overtime period and started with a gorgeous ball from senior captain Lewis Derrett into the penalty box and right to the foot of junior forward Christoffer Bisbo.
Bisbo deftly corralled the pass and just as it looked as if he would shoot from about six yards out with the goalie charging, he nudged the ball back and to his right. That was exactly where freshman forward George Holloway was running, and the English native calmly tapped the ball into the open net to win the game.
Derrett's ball was just the final example of a well-played match for the midfielder, who along with sophomore transfer Adrian Gomez helped control much of the game for UGF.
It wasn't just ball control that made Gomez a key performer for the Argos but also a stunning individual effort early in the first half that gave UGF its initial lead. The fleet footed Spaniard started his dribbling run from about 10 yards behind the top left corner of EOU's penalty box. He then picked his way through and around three Mountaineer defenders before getting off shot in a crowded space that sailed across the face of the net and into the far side of the goal.
"We got very good performances from Adrian and Lewis in the midfield. They really helped control the temp of the game and create offensively," Yeisley said. "I thought we executed well for long periods of time and were able to control the match for long stretches."
The game was as even statistically as it was on the scoreboard. UGF finished the contest with one more shot than EOU (18-17), one more shot on goal (9-8), and the same amount of saves (7-7). The Argo defense did do an admirable job of not giving up a corner kick to the Mountaineers.
"I think this was a good performance to build off and I believe the boys will be hungry to get another three points tomorrow," Yeisley said.
With the win, the Argos record goes to 2-4 (1-2). The team will look for its first back-to-back wins as they host Warner Pacific College on Saturday, September 24 at 2 p.m. on Argo Field.
