GLENDALE, Ariz. - In the team's first match after checking in at #20 in the most recent NJCAA Division II national polls, the Glendale Community College men's soccer program put eight goals past Chandler-Gilbert Community College on Tuesday night, improving to 8-2-2 overall on the season.
Playing confidently from the outset, Glendale produced one chance after another in the first half with four of the five goals scored before halftime all resembling each other pretty closely. The scoring opened in the eighth minute with Nathan Johansen sliding in a square ball to an onrushing Beani Wammunga to poke home with his first touch. The lead was doubled in the 16th minute as Jordan Yesenski raced down the left and slid a ball across the box for Abed Abwe to finish at a tight angle with his first touch.
Following the script closely, a foul gave Glendale a free kick in the 25th minute that was taken quickly by Logan Henley and delivered into the path of Johansen to score with his first touch for a 3-0 lead. The only unassisted goal of the first half came from Brandon Rincon in the 36th minute when a failed clearance from Chandler-Gilbert came to Rincon at the top of the box and he finished low through a crowd to make it 4-0. Normal service was resumed in the 43rd minute as Costa Abdullah used his first touch to deposit a Francisco Garcia square ball in the back of the net.
Garcia would continue to make an impact in the opening minutes of the second half, scoring in the 49th and 52nd minutes with assists going to Luis Barraza and Pablo Morquecho. As the clock rolled past 70 minutes, a Glendale goal was needed to end the game early and it came from Jacob Engwall in the 75th minute after he was played forward by a long ball from Daniel Hernandez Vega.
On Sophomore Night for the Gauchos, Gavin Smith made three saves in goal and Kaedon Skawski helped ensure the shutout victory from the back line. Glendale attempted 27 total shots in the match, with six coming from Garcia and another four from Morquecho.
The Gauchos face a sterner test on Saturday with a trip to #1 Phoenix College for a match beginning at 8 p.m.
