ORANGE, Calif. — Men's soccer dominated to the tune of a 2-0 victory over St. Katherine in the team's home opener on Saturday, Sept. 2.
The squad, now 1-0 on the young season, took an early lead on a laser of a goal by Jonah Friang. The right footer found the back of the net in the 17th minute and came on a beautiful sequence started by Jackson Busby who dribbled the ball up from the defense to find Riley Thomas in the midfield who gave a nice touch to Friang.
Thomas's generosity would later be rewarded with a goal of his own. In the 70th minute, Ben Fraser knocked a cross from the near side over to the cutting Thomas who found the net with his left foot.
The Panthers missed a pair of opportunities in the forms of a PK and a wide open attack which could have broken the game up even further. But a win to start off the season for head coach Eddie Carrillo's squad flashed shades of the team's success last season.
A defense which otherwise was middle-of-the-pack in the SCIAC last season turned it up in the post season allowing no goals in the SCIAC tournament. This unit held the Firebirds to only four shots all game, out shooting St. Katherine 16-4.
Chapman's next contest will come on Monday, Sept. 4 at 6 p.m. when they host Stanton.
