Willamette Closes Out Season-Opening Road Trip Against Evergreen

By Mark Colachico, Interim Assistant Athletics Communications Director

SALEM, ORE. -- The Willamette University mens soccer team continues its season-opening, four-game road trip Sunday with a non-conference contest against Cascade Collegiate Conference member The Evergreen State College beginning at 4:00 p.m. on Geoduck Pitch in Olympia, Washington.

After playing three games last week in the Midwest against Lake Forest College (Ill.), Loras College (Iowa), and Carthage College (Wis.), the Bearcats close out their longest season-opening road trip since 2012 taking on the winless Geoducks.

The Bearcats only goal so far this season came on their second shot of the year via a rebound by Alan Hernandez (Fr., F, Tigard, OR/Tigard HS) in the 22nd minute against Lake Forest. In between the pipes, Willamette has split time among three different keepers with Braydon Calder (Jr., GK, Philomath, OR/Philomath HS) seeing the majority of the time logging nearly 177 minutes in goal. Calder and Julian Juarez (Jr., GK, Honolulu, Hawaii/Punahou School) are tied for the team lead in saves with eight each, while Calder leads the team in goals against average (GAA) at 1.53.

This season, Willamette is led by 18 upperclassmen with only three being seniors. Yazan Hishmeh (Jr., F, Ventura, CA/Saint Bonaventure HS) leads the core of returners after scoring nine goals and handing out six assists for a total of 24 points in his second season with the Bearcats.

Fourth-year Head Coach Lloyd Fobi looks to continue his success with the Bearcats, as Willamette has won 26-of-54 games that includes seven ties during his first three seasons at the helm. In the midst of last season's 10-6-3 record, the Bearcats compiled a win-loss record of 4-2-1 over their last nine games that included three straight wins over a seven-day stretch against George Fox University (5-0 on Sept. 19th), Pacific University of Oregon (3-1 on Sept. 20th), and Pacific Lutheran University (3-0 on Sept. 26th).

Evergreen comes into Sundays contest having dropped its first two games of the season against Johnson & Wales University (Colo.), 1-0, at home and versus the NAIA's No. 10-ranked Concordia University-Irvine, 3-0, earlier this evening at the Holiday Inn Classic in Portland. In eight seasons as the leader of the Geoducks, John Purtteman has compiled a win-loss record of 51-74-15 that includes a 13-6-0 mark in 2012 when Evergreen finished second in the conference with a 12-2-0 record.

So far this season, Tanner Williams leads Evergreen in total shots with five and three other Geoducks - Willie Spurr, Juan Oropeza, and Nate Boatright - have registered three shots each. In goal, Angel Guerra has allowed four goals in 180 minutes of action so far this year and registered two saves.

Willamette will step onto its home pitch for the first time this season on Friday, September 12th, against the University of California-Santa Cruz beginning at 7:00 p.m. on Sparks Field to conclude a soccer doubleheader that kicks off the Bearcats Alumni Weekend/Homecoming schedule.