FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – November 1, 2026
Ashland, Ore.| The Warner Pacific University men's soccer team closed out its regular-season schedule Sunday afternoon with a 2-1 loss to Southern Oregon University at Raider Stadium in Ashland, Oregon. Despite the loss, the Knights have clinched the final seed in the CCC Tournament.
Felix Mendoza provided the offensive highlight for Warner Pacific, scoring his third goal of the season in the 34th minute off an assist from
Alfredo Jimenez, while goalkeeper
Owen Purvis delivered an outstanding performance with a season-high 10 saves to keep the Knights in contention throughout the afternoon.
Warner Pacific wasted little time establishing its offensive presence, generating the first two shots of the contest.
Fabian Gonzalez recorded the Knights' opening attempt in the second minute before
Lewis Rumrey followed with another opportunity in the fourth minute, both of which were blocked by the Southern Oregon defense.
Gonzalez continued to push forward, sending another shot wide in the eighth minute as Warner Pacific looked to establish an early advantage. Southern Oregon responded with offensive pressure of its own, but Purvis was up to the challenge, making saves in the 13th and 23rd minutes to keep the match scoreless.
The Knights began finding more opportunities as the opening half progressed. Luis Gonzalez generated a shot in the 28th minute before putting another attempt on goal in the 32nd, forcing Southern Oregon goalkeeper Daniel Espinosa into a save.
Ethan Zavala followed with a shot that went wide just moments later, keeping the pressure on the Raiders' defense. Warner Pacific's persistence paid off in the 34th minute when Mendoza found the back of the net to give the Knights a 1-0 advantage.
The scoring opportunity developed from a counterattack, with Jimenez delivering a long pass downfield to Mendoza, who finished from 17 yards out for his third goal of the season.
The Knights' defense continued to hold strong throughout the remainder of the opening half. Purvis made two additional saves in the 37th and 42nd minutes, helping Warner Pacific carry its one-goal advantage into halftime.
Warner Pacific finished the opening 45 minutes with seven shots, while Southern Oregon recorded 11. However, the Knights' ability to capitalize on their scoring opportunity proved to be the difference heading into the break.
The second half opened with Warner Pacific looking to extend its advantage. Jimenez generated the Knights' first opportunity of the period in the 49th minute, sending a shot wide of the goal.
Southern Oregon continued applying pressure as the half progressed, but Purvis remained a steady presence between the posts. The Knights' goalkeeper turned away a header in the 54th minute before making another important save in the 69th minute to preserve Warner Pacific's 1-0 lead.
Purvis continued delivering crucial stops as the Raiders increased their offensive pressure. He recorded three more saves between the 74th and 78th minutes, keeping the Knights in front as the contest entered its final stages. Southern Oregon eventually found the equalizer in the 80th minute when Felix Valenzuela Paz finished a cross from Zach Browning on a counterattack, tying the match at 1-1.
Moments later, the Raiders were reduced to 10 players following a red card issued to Jose Mondesi Munoz in the 80th minute. With the match tied and Southern Oregon playing a man down, Warner Pacific looked to regain the advantage. Mendoza generated another opportunity in the 81st minute, but his shot sailed high.
Julio Andrade followed with an attempt in the 86th minute as the Knights continued searching for a late winner.
However, Southern Oregon struck again in the 87th minute when Jonathan Gaspar finished an assist from Mustafa Daggig from eight yards out, giving the Raiders a 2-1 advantage with just over three minutes remaining. Warner Pacific made one final push in the closing moments, earning a corner kick in the 88th minute, but the Knights were unable to find the equalizer before the final whistle.
The Knights finished the afternoon with 10 total shots and two shots on goal, while earning three corner kicks. Mendoza, Luis Gonzalez and
Fabian Gonzalez led Warner Pacific with two shots apiece. Mendoza and Luis Gonzalez each recorded one shot on goal, while Rumrey, Jimenez, Zavala and Andrade contributed one attempt each.
Jimenez also recorded the assist on Mendoza's first-half goal, providing the Knights' lone scoring connection of the afternoon. In goal, Purvis played the full 90 minutes and delivered a standout performance, recording 10 saves against Southern Oregon's 12 shots on goal. The Raiders finished with 21 total shots and four corner kicks, but Warner Pacific's defensive effort kept Southern Oregon off the scoreboard for nearly 80 minutes.
Next Up
The result moves Warner Pacific to 6-8-2 overall and 4-7-1 in Cascade Collegiate Conference play, while Southern Oregon improves to 11-3-3 overall and 7-3-2 in conference action. The Knights will now get ready for their first-round matchup against first seeded Rocky Mountain College in Medford, Oregon on Saturday, November 7
th. Kickoff is set for 7pm at Lithia & Driveway Fields.
