FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – October 23, 2026
Portland, Ore.| The Warner Pacific University men's soccer team faced another tough Cascade Collegiate Conference test Thursday afternoon, welcoming No. 8 Rocky Mountain College to Eastside Timbers Sports Complex. The Knights remained within striking distance throughout the opening half before the Battlin' Bears pulled away after the break for a 3-0 victory.
Warner Pacific looked to establish its attack early, with Luis Gonzalez producing the Knights' first opportunity less than three minutes into the match.
Sergio Varela followed with a shot on goal in the 12th minute, forcing Rocky Mountain goalkeeper Anton Wilms into his first save of the afternoon.
The Knights' defense was tested throughout the opening half, but goalkeeper
Owen Purvis helped keep the match scoreless with a series of saves. Purvis turned away opportunities in the seventh, 10th and 13th minutes before adding several more stops later in the half.
Warner Pacific continued searching for the breakthrough, with Gonzalez having another attempt blocked in the 29th minute. Despite Rocky Mountain's offensive pressure, the Knights kept the nationally ranked Battlin' Bears off the scoreboard until the closing minutes of the half.
Rocky Mountain finally broke through in the 44th minute when Fynn Sweeting scored off an assist from Aaron Lawson to give the Battlin' Bears a 1-0 advantage.
The Knights nearly answered immediately.
Felix Mendoza put a shot on goal just 30 seconds later, forcing Wilms into a save. Warner Pacific then earned a corner kick in the 45th minute as it pushed for an equalizer before halftime.
WPU's challenge became more difficult moments later when Gonzalez was shown a red card in the final seconds of the first half, forcing the Knights to play the entire second half with 10 players.
Despite being down a player, Warner Pacific came out aggressively after halftime and earned a pair of corner kicks within the opening four minutes. Rocky Mountain, however, capitalized on its advantage with two goals in quick succession. Henry Chalkley scored in the 52nd minute off an assist from Lawson before Evan Odle added another in the 54th minute to extend the Battlin' Bears' lead to 3-0.
The Knights refused to back down and continued looking for opportunities throughout the remainder of the match.
Julio Andrade sent a shot high in the 65th minute before
Hunter Cunningham generated a pair of attempts later in the half.
Warner Pacific continued pressing through the closing minutes.
Otto Pasley put an attempt on goal in the 90th minute, and Miguel Galacia followed with a blocked shot moments later as the Knights battled through the final whistle.
The Knights finished with nine total shots and three shots on goal, while also earning four corner kicks. Varela, Mendoza and Pasley each put an attempt on frame, while Gonzalez and Cunningham recorded two shots apiece.
Purvis finished his time in goal with six saves before
Jonathan Flores took over during the second half. Flores stopped all three shots on goal he faced, keeping Rocky Mountain off the scoreboard over the final 36 minutes.
Following the match, Warner Pacific head coach
Troy Ready praised his team's performance against the nationally ranked Battlin' Bears while acknowledging the difficult circumstances that altered the course of the match.
"I'm exceptionally proud of our team today for how they played against a good opponent. We were in a fantastic and competitive match until some decisions outside of our control changed the course of the match. I feel for our players and yet we will need to regroup for an important match on Sunday," Ready said.
Despite the result, Warner Pacific held the nation's eighth-ranked team scoreless for more than 43 minutes to begin the match and did not concede over the final 36 minutes while playing a man down for the entire second half.
With the result, Warner Pacific moves to 5-6-2 overall and 3-5-1 in conference play as the Knights turn their attention toward another important conference matchup on Sunday.
Next Up
The Knights will now prepare for their final home game of the season on Sunday against Carroll College. They will most likely need to win a game or two the rest of the way to clinch a playoff spot. They will celebrate Senior Day on Sunday and play the Fightin' Saints at 1pm.
