Mary Hart- USU Eastern Sports Information Director

Photo Courtesy of USU Eastern

Utah State Eastern men’s soccer came into a challenging road stretch full of confidence and walked away with two solid results. The Eagles defeated North Idaho College 2–1 on Thursday and then overwhelmed Pacific Northwest Christian College 6–1 on Saturday. Both games showed Eastern’s ability to start strong and finish even stronger.

Game 1:
Playing in Coeur d’Alene, the Eagles struck early. Matheo Ledesma opened the scoring just past the 7-minute mark, netting the first goal. Later in the first half, Owen Gaisford converted a penalty to push the lead to 2-0.

North Idaho pulled one back before halftime, making it 2-1 going into the break. However, Eastern’s defense and keeper held firm through the second half despite being outshot overall. United by urgency, the Eagles preserved the margin, taking the full three points. Key contributors included goal scorers Ledesma and Gaisford, as well as solid work from the back line and the goalkeeper.

Game 2:
Two days later in Kennewick, Washington, Eastern turned on the attack in a dominant performance. The Eagles jumped out with a first-half barrage: Owen Gaisford scored early, followed by goals from Leandro Robles and Carson Leishman to build a commanding lead. By halftime, Eastern was up 3-0.

In the second half, Eastern added three more goals to make it 6-1. The scoring was spread out, showing depth and offensive variety. The Eagles created chances, moved smartly, and pressured the opponent from front to back. Even allowing one goal, Eastern’s defensive discipline limited further damage.

The Eagles will head to Reno, Nevada, this Thursday for the next conference match-up against Truckee Meadows.