MCMINNVILLE, Ore. – Walla Walla University Men's Soccer closed out its nonconference schedule Sunday, falling to Linfield University 2-0.
Linfield put pressure on the Wolves early and found the back of the net in the ninth minute on a goal by Ross Vargo. Walla Walla battled to respond and nearly found the equalizer in the 35th minute when Paulo Toastado put a shot on goal, but Linfield goalkeeper Colby Ross made the save to keep the Wolves off the scoreboard.
Both teams continued to battle in the second half, trading shot attempts as Walla Walla looked for an opportunity to get back into the match. The Wildcats broke through again in the 63rd minute with a goal by Oli Gaines, extending their lead and scoring what would be the final goal of the afternoon.
Despite the loss, Head Coach Jose Garcia was pleased with the effort he saw from his team.
"We played well as a team. There are some things that we need to continue to clean up," Garcia said. "Hopefully we will get Sebastian Vargas and
Cai Calvo back soon, and
Diego Gutierrez should be back next weekend."
The loss drops the Wolves to 0-3 on the season as they prepare to open Cascade Collegiate Conference play next weekend.
NEXT UP: Walla Walla will hit the road next weekend to open conference play against Eastern Oregon University and The College of Idaho.
