CALDWELL, Idaho — In a match that had everything: goals, emotions, and a relentless back-and-forth battle, The College of Idaho men's soccer team finally broke through, claiming their first win of the season in thrilling fashion with a 5 to 3 victory over Corban University Friday night at Simplot Stadium.
The College of Idaho, who entered the contest winless through three matches, refused to let the narrative continue. From the opening whistle, they played with urgency and fire, outshooting the Warriors 26 to 8 and dominating possession. Yet Corban refused to go quietly, matching the Yotes goal for goal through the first 50 minutes in a contest that neither looked eager to give up.
Eric Hornung opened the scoring in the 16th minute, finishing off a setup from Krew Christensen. After Corban equalized, Pierre Fabre responded with a solo strike in the 33rd minute, only for the Warriors to level again before halftime. Hornung struck again early in the second half, assisted by Fabre, but Corban's Zachary Milczarek answered just 44 seconds later to make it 3 to 3.
Then came the turning point.
Keidin Green, who had been knocking on the door all night, broke through in the 60th minute with a clinical finish off a Chris Slater assist. Green sealed the win in the 83rd minute, this time fed by Hornung, as The College of Idaho pulled away for good.
Statistically, The College of Idaho was dominant. They earned 13 corner kicks to Corban's one, and fired 26 shots, eight on target, compared to just eight total from the visitors. Despite conceding three goals, goalkeeper Matej Hron made key saves and held firm in the final stretch to secure the win.
The match was physical, with 28 combined fouls and seven yellow cards issued, but The College of Idaho kept their composure and executed when it mattered most.
With the win, The College of Idaho improves to 1-2-1 overall and 1-2-0 in conference play. They will look to build on this momentum tomorrow night when they host Bushnell University at 6:30 p.m. under the lights at Simplot Stadium.
