HONOLULU, HI – Menlo Men's Soccer earned a commanding 2-0 win over the Silverswords of Chaminade University in a Thursday morning match at Saint Louis Field. The Oaks capitalized on their opportunities, netting a goal in each half to seal the victory and improve to 5-3-1 overall and 3-1 in conference play.
Parker Faeth Making it Happen
Menlo opened the scoring in the 31st minute when Johan Mendoza Aguilar slotted home his second goal of the season. The Oaks gained possession in their attacking third and earned a deep throw-in near the corner flag. A perfectly placed cross from Andres Maldonado found the chest of Parker Faeth inside the box who laid the ball off with technical genius to Johan. Mendoza Aguilar's strike gave the Oaks a 1-0 lead going into halftime, as the team applied consistent pressure with nine shots in the first half.
The second goal came in the 77th minute, courtesy of Saul Gutierrez. Another Oaks throw in would place them on the left sideline of the field. Smart ball movement between Roy Rosenberg Mendoza Aguilar, and Parker Faeth inched themselves closer to the endline. Faeth managed to get a cross off to find Gutierrez who gathered the ball at the top of the box and put a hefty strike on the ball to get it past the Silversword goalkeeper, also netting his second goal of the season. Menlo's defense remained firm throughout the game, securing a shutout with goalkeeper Martin Fiala making two crucial saves to protect the lead.
Oak Standouts
The Oaks dominated the match, outshooting Chaminade 19 to 5 and putting 10 shots on target. Johan Mendoza Aguilar was a standout for Menlo with four shots, two on target, and one goal. His first goal of the year came against Concordia-Irvine in their first PacWest Conference match. Saul Gutierrez also contributed a strong performance with two shots and his second goal of the season, following his earlier strike against Cal Poly Humboldt, the Oaks first official non-conference match as a DII program.
Parker Faeth was the playmaker of the day, providing both assists in the match and creating constant danger in Chaminade's half. Defensively, Menlo was solid, with goalkeeper Martin Fiala earning his second shutout of the season, facing only five shots and making two key saves in the second half. The Oaks' relentless attack resulted in eight saves by Chaminade's goalkeeper, but Menlo's efficiency proved too much for the Silverswords.
Up Next….
Menlo Men's Soccer will make their way over to Oahu, Hawaii to face off the Sharks of Hawaii Pacifc on Saturday, October 12th beginning at 7pm PST.
