Oct. 9, 2011

Box Score

PORTLAND - Second-half goals by Fernando Barba and Dylan Seedman went unanswered by Portland as the LMU men's soccer team earned a 3-2 win over the Pilots in WCC action Sunday.

The win was a huge one for the Lions (3-9-0, 1-3-0) as it snapped a seven-game losing streak and gave them three points in the WCC standings.

The game began much like other recent outings for LMU as Portland (5-6-0, 0-4-0) jumped on the board in the 15th minute on a goal by Derek Boggs. But the Lions responded quickly as Phil Da Silva scored from six yards out just three minutes later, evening the score at 1-1. The goal was the third in the last two games for Da Silva.

An LMU foul in the box allowed Connor Barbaree put the Pilots back in front at the 41:39 mark with a penalty kick goal, giving the home team the momentum heading into halftime.

But the Lions were undeterred. Barba had a pair of shots in the early minutes of the second half, one blocked by the Portland defense and one that sailed high. At the 56:19 mark, it was his third shot of the half that finally found the back of the net and tied the score for the second time. Receiving a pass from Seedman, Barba sent a shot from the right wing into the back of the net for his first goal of the season.

Just eight minutes later the Lions took their first lead of the game as Seedman took a cross from Da Silva on the left flank and buried the ball into the open net from six yards out.

LMU kept the Pilots at bay for the remaining 25 minutes, allowing a just one shot on goal during that span. Jack McCormack played the opening period in goal for the Lions, making two saves and conceding the two goals. Max Young took over in the second half and finished with a pair of saves.

The Lions will look to build on Sunday's win when they return to Sullivan Field next week. On the slate are WCC match-ups against Santa Clara on Friday and San Francisco on Sunday.