NORTH LAS VEGAS, Nev. — The College of Southern Nevada men's soccer team pushed No. 9 Mohave College deep into the second half Saturday afternoon, but a late goal proved to be the difference as the Coyotes fell 2-1 in ACCAC play at the Cheyenne Sports Complex.
CSN erased an early deficit behind Landen Mendiola's second-half equalizer and remained level with the nationally ranked Bighorns until Luis Garcia scored the game-winner in the 85th minute. The result moved Mohave to 5-3-1 overall and 1-1-1 in conference play, while Southern Nevada fell to 1-8-1 and 0-3-0 in the ACCAC.
The Coyotes came out on the attack. Justin Gilliland sent a shot high in the third minute before Javier Montes forced Mohave goalkeeper Owen Williams into a save at 3:58. Less than a minute later, however, Mohave countered with the opening goal as Alan Salgado scored off an assist from Luigi Ankrom to give the Bighorns a 1-0 advantage.
Mohave generated several opportunities after taking the lead, but goalkeeper Diego Mendez kept CSN within one. Mendez made four saves in the opening half, while the Coyotes continued to look for an equalizer. Ethan Garcia put another attempt on frame in the 27th minute, but Williams made the save and Mohave carried its 1-0 advantage into halftime.
Southern Nevada came out aggressively after the break. Gilliland had two attempts blocked in the opening three minutes of the half, and Mendiola had another shot turned away by the Mohave defense as the Coyotes increased the pressure.
That pressure paid off in the 60th minute.
Gilliland helped create the opportunity and Mendiola finished it at 59:08, beating Williams to bring the Coyotes level at 1-1. The goal gave CSN new life and set up a back-and-forth final 30 minutes.
The Coyotes nearly found another in the 79th minute when Gilliland put a shot on goal, but Williams made the save to preserve the tie. Mohave then found the deciding goal at 84:15, with Garcia scoring off assists from Abdullahi Daud and Cy Adams to put the Bighorns back in front, 2-1.
Mohave finished with a 22-10 advantage in shots and a 10-4 edge in shots on goal, but CSN stayed within striking distance throughout the match behind eight saves from Mendez. Gilliland led the Coyotes with four shots and assisted on Mendiola's goal, while Mendiola finished with two attempts and CSN's lone score.
Up Next: Southern Nevada heads back on the road for ACCAC play, traveling to Prescott, Arizona, to face Yavapai College on Saturday, Sept. 26, at 4:30 p.m.
