FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – October 2nd, 2026
Gresham, Ore.| The Warner Pacific University men's soccer team returned to Eastside Timbers Sports Complex Thursday for a conference matchup against Bushnell University.
Despite creating several opportunities and controlling much of the pressure in the second half, the Knights were unable to find the back of the net in a hard-fought 1-0 loss to the Beacons. The result moves Warner Pacific to 2-4-2 overall and 0-3-1 in conference play.
Warner Pacific came out aggressively, generating the first opportunity just 13 seconds into the match when
Jose Robles had an attempt blocked.
Bryan Jimenez followed with a shot on goal in the fourth minute before
Alfredo Jimenez forced another save from Bushnell goalkeeper Aaron Lowry in the 10th minute.
The Beacons eventually broke through in the 31st minute. Tomas Jujihara found the back of the net off an assist from Teva Mataoa, giving Bushnell a 1-0 advantage. Warner Pacific nearly responded less than a minute later when Luis Gonzalez put an attempt on frame, but Lowry made the save to preserve the lead heading into halftime.
Warner Pacific came out of the break searching for the equalizer and continued to generate pressure throughout the second half. Jimenez,
Ethan Zavala and
Lewis Rumrey all had attempts blocked during the opening stages of the half as the Knights pushed numbers forward.
The Knights continued to press late, earning four corner kicks between the 67th and 75th minutes.
Kevil Marin-Mendez had an attempt blocked during the stretch before
Julio Andrade put a shot on goal in the 79th minute, forcing another save from Lowry. Warner Pacific earned one final corner with 15 seconds remaining but could not find the equalizer before the final whistle.
Warner Pacific finished with 11 total shots and four shots on goal, compared to 12 shots and three on target for Bushnell. The Knights also controlled the corner-kick battle with a 9-4 advantage, including five corners in the second half.
Jimenez led the Warner Pacific attack with three shots and one on goal. Gonzalez,
Alfredo Jimenez and Andrade each added an attempt on target. In goal,
Owen Purvis played the full 90 minutes and recorded two saves while allowing just the lone first-half goal.
Following the match, Warner Pacific head coach
Troy Ready pointed to his team's effort and competitiveness while emphasizing the need to find more production in front of goal.
"I cannot fault the effort of our guys, their willingness to compete, and their desire to win. All of those were evident in the match today. Our challenge all year has been finding goals which ultimately makes it extremely challenging to get results. Collectively, we have to turn this around. I take responsibility for identifying ways that we can improve in this area and I know our team is also committed to 'turning over every rock' until it happens. We have backed ourselves into a corner at this juncture of the season and will need to dig deep in the forthcoming matches," Ready said.
Next Up
The Knights will have to have short memories because they'll be back at it again on Sunday afternoon at 1pm hosting Corban University at Eastside Timbers Complex.
