The Utah State Eastern men's soccer team earned an important 1-0 road victory over the College of Southern Idaho on Thursday, with Leandro Suarez scoring the game-winning goal in the 78th minute.
The Eagles continued Scenic West Athletic Conference play with a trip to Twin Falls, Idaho, to face the Golden Eagles. The matchup marked the first stop of a weekend road trip for Eastern.
Both teams created opportunities in a closely contested first half. Eastern recorded nine shots, but CSI's goalkeeper made two saves to keep the Eagles off the scoreboard. Xavier Peregrina also came up with a save for Eastern as Southern Idaho recorded seven shots in the opening half.
The defensive battle continued after halftime, with neither team able to establish consistent pressure in the attacking third. Eastern eventually broke through in the 78th minute when Suarez converted a free kick just outside the penalty area for his third goal of the season.
Suarez's late strike gave the Eagles a 1-0 lead, and Eastern held on through the closing minutes to secure the road victory.
The win moved Eastern to 7-4-2 overall and 5-3-1 in conference play, putting the Eagles in a tie for third place in the Scenic West standings.
Eastern will continue its road trip Saturday against Truckee Meadows Community College in Reno, Nevada. The Eagles defeated the Lizards 10-0 in their previous meeting this season. Kickoff is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 10.
