Glendale, Ariz.-The stonewall that was the Firestorm defense for most of the night, was broken late in the game, seeing the Southern Oregon Raiders come out on top 1-0. Though goalkeeper Carlos Gallardo fiercely denied shot attempts and ACU's backline suffocated the middle of play, it proved not enough in the end. The Firestorm's perfection at home, a streak dating back 16 games to the end of the 2020 season, was snapped in a scoreless performance.

Score:  Arizona Christian 0, Southern Oregon 1
Records:  Arizona Christian 2-1-0 (0-0-0) | Southern Oregon 3-0-0 (0-0-0)
Location: ACU Football Field - Glendale, AZ


STAT TRACKER

Aiden Abbitt - 3 shots on goal 
Kaden Grub - 2 shots
Tiago Soares - 1 shot on goal
Micah Rickard - 1 shot on goal
Carlos Gallardo - 4 saves


INSIDE THE BOXSCORE

Though the Firestorm have never met the Southern Oregon Raiders in competition, Coach Ted Krzywiecki knew from tape that it would be no easy task matching up with them. His defensive scheme heading into the contest proved vital, as SOU held possession and pressured early and often. 

Defender Jake Underwood got off a solid header on one of ACU's few legitimate offensive opportunities. In the waning minutes of the first half, the Raiders bombarded Gallardo and the Firestorm backline, amassing four corner kicks and five shots (two on goal). Gallardo held firm under duress and each side headed to the break knotted at 0.

Out of the break, SOU was the aggressor and inspired play led to a yellow card party, as six were bestowed (five to SOU and one to ACU) in the span of 13 minutes. ACU's first scoring threat came in the 69th minute, forward Micah Rickard threading a ball between two Raider defenders, only to find the waiting arms of SOU goalkeeper Casey Ruvolo. 

Not unlike other sequences, the Raiders methodically moved the ball inside the Firestorm 30-yard line. This time, however, SOU's Alex Hjumland nudged a ball to his teammate Adrian Villegas, and he exploited what weakness there was and nailed a 25-yard goal. 

With 11 minutes remaining, the Firestorm did not show signs of panic but could only manage outside shots. Midfielder Aiden Abbitt sent off two shots in ACU's last-gasp efforts to tie the game yet the time favored the opposing Raiders and shut the door.


THOUGHTS FROM COACH TED KRZYWIECKI
"With a couple guys out tonight we had some big contributions from guys who had to carry a larger load," Coach Krzywiecki said. "SOU is a solid side, but we felt like we were in it the entire way and had some moments we could take better advantage of along with some great saves from Carlos Gallardo. We were beaten by a 25 yard strike stuck in the corner that we couldn't do much about. We definitely have some things we are learning about the identity of our group and the quality of the players that we have. We are looking forward to stepping back on the field on Monday morning."

NEXT MATCH
The Firestorm jump right back on ACU Football Field this Labor Day, matching up against another Cascade team, Eastern Oregon. First whistle is at 10:00 AM, when ACU will look to quickly get back in the win column. Follow the action with live stats at https://acufirestorm.com/sidearmstats/msoc/summary or, if you cannot attend, watch the game at https://www.gsacsportsnetwork.com/azchristian/.   


Roll Storm!