HONOLULU, Hawaii – The Hawaiian Islands are paradise after all, as the winless drought for the Warriors has come to an end in Honolulu. Backed by
Luis Cruz's second-half header, Jessup snapped their scoreless streak and held on for the 1-0 victory.
"I'm so proud of our boys for sticking to it," said head coach
Greg Lazaga. "We feel like we have been in every game we have played this season."
Jessup is now 1-5-4 in their first NCAA Division II campaign, while their counterparts from Hawaii Pacific drop to 3-7-0.
A streak of 400 scoreless minutes of soccer came to an end on Wednesday, thanks to the head of Cruz, who played home a corner kick from
Jalen Scott. After a 1-1 draw in Santa Cruz on Sept. 25, Jessup proceeded to go scoreless in three straight. They are hoping a trip to Hawaii and the Cruz goal will bring a changing of the tide to their offensive luck.
What's in need of no change is the Warriors' defense.
While the offense has taken its time to get going, Jessup has been a brick wall to their opponents. No opponent has scored more than two goals on the Warriors this season, with the Warriors holding opponents to one goal or fewer in five consecutive matches. The last two being shutouts.
Lazaga added to the sentiments on Jessup's defense, noting, "Our defense has been very solid all year long. Opportunities have been there, and today, we got a timely goal and then finished the game."
Goalkeeper
Maxx Willard did his part in the shutout by totaling five saves during his 90 minutes of work. He now has three shutouts on the season.
In two matches on the island of Oahu, Jessup went 1-0-1, but now they will test their luck on the Big Island. The Warriors will jump islands for a Saturday meeting with Hawaii Hilo, the finale of a week of soccer in Hawaii.
Saturday's match is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. (PST).
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Jessup University is a provisional member of the National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) Division II and the PacWest Conference. For additional information regarding Jessup Athletics, visit www.jessupathletics.com; visit www.jessup.edu for more information on Jessup University. Follow Jessup Athletics on social media: Jessup University Athletics (Facebook) and @JessupAthletics (Instagram & X).
