BELLINGHAM, Wash.--- No. 5 Stan State closed its season-opening Pacific Northwest Road trip Saturday evening in a tightly contested West Region matchup at Harrington Field, with Western Washington scoring in the 81st minute to earn a 2-1 victory over the Warriors.
Adrian Yepez scored his first goal of the season for Stan State (0-2-0), pulling the Warriors even at 1-1 in the 32nd minute.
Kenneth Solares and
Cameron Belandres assisted on the goal.
Western Washington (2-0-0) finished with a 27-9 advantage in shots, but goalkeeper
Dylan Isasi kept the Warriors within striking distance throughout the evening with seven saves, including five during the second half.
FIRST HALF
Western Washington applied pressure from the opening minutes, generating five corner kicks during the first 11 minutes. Isasi made his first save in the 10th minute on an attempt from Jack Haegele before stopping Tommy Carroll in the 23rd minute.
The Vikings broke through at the 24:24 mark. Reiley Buri-Brown headed a ball back across the area, where Landon Schulze finished into the upper-right corner off assists from Buri-Brown and Jose Perez to give Western Washington a 1-0 lead.
Stan State responded quickly after falling behind.
Emmanuel Duran and
Alexis Cervantes each had attempts less than four minutes after the opening goal.
The Warriors found the equalizer at the 31:30 mark. Belandres played a touch pass to Solares, who sent a cross through the middle to Yepez. The Warrior midfielder finished over goalkeeper Quinn Sappington to tie the match at 1-1.
Duran nearly gave Stan State the lead before halftime, putting an attempt on frame in the 41st minute that was stopped by Sappington.
Stan State generated six of its nine shots during the opening 45 minutes and entered halftime tied at 1-1.
SECOND HALF
The Warriors created two opportunities immediately after the break. Yepez had an attempt in the 47th minute before Solares put a shot on goal at the 47:22 mark, forcing Sappington to make his second save of the evening.
Western Washington increased its pressure as the half continued, but Isasi kept the match even. He made back-to-back saves on Edwin Diaz in the 50th minute before stopping Perez in the 68th minute and Haegele in the 76th.
The match remained tied until the final 10 minutes. Western Washington found the go-ahead goal at the 80:56 mark when Schulze delivered a heel pass to Lunden Fenster, who took two touches before finishing into the upper-right corner to give the Vikings a 2-1 advantage.
Isasi prevented Western Washington from adding to its lead with another save on Schulze in the 84th minute.
The Vikings finished with a 27-9 advantage in shots, including a 15-3 margin during the second half, and held a 10-0 advantage in corner kicks. Isasi finished with seven saves, five of which came after halftime.
WARRIOR NOTABLES
- Adrian Yepez scored his first goal of the season and the sixth of his Warrior career. Yepez now has six goals and eight assists for 20 career points. He finished Saturday's match with a team-high three shots.
- Dylan Isasi recorded seven saves, including five in the second half.
- Kenneth Solares recorded his first assist of the season on Yepez's goal and finished with two shots, including one on goal.
- Cameron Belandres recorded his first assist as a Warrior on Yepez's first-half goal. The Cal State Dominguez Hills transfer entered the season with three career goals and four assists.
- Saturday's result gives Western Washington a 3-2-1 advantage in the all-time series.
UP NEXT
Stan State returns to Turlock for its 2026 home opener on Thursday, Sept. 3, when the Warriors host Saint Martin's University at Warrior Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m.
Thursday's match begins a six-match home stand for the Warriors. Stan State will also host Simon Fraser on Saturday, Sept. 5, at 11 a.m., Hawaii Pacific on Thursday, Sept. 10, at 7 p.m., and Dominican (Calif.) on Saturday, Sept. 12, at 7 p.m.
The Warriors will conclude the home stand by opening CCAA play against Cal State Monterey Bay on Friday, Sept. 18, at 7 p.m. and No. 20 Cal State Dominguez Hills on Sunday, Sept. 20, at 2 p.m.
