SURPRISE, Ariz. – It took a rally in the second half, but the OUAZ men's soccer team was able to stay unblemished on the young season behind a 3-2 win over the University of Antelope Valley on Friday night at Spirit Field.
 
It was all Antelope Valley (2-0) in the first half as the visiting Pioneers raced out to a 2-0 advantage in the 19th minute. UAV scored on their first two shots of the game and seemed to have all the answers for the OUAZ (3-0) attack.
 
Things would change early in the second half when Serigne Amar Ndao got the Spirit on the board in the 48th minute when he finished a ball played by Samuel George. That goal sparked an OUAZ attack that would apply more pressure and earn a penalty kick in the 49th minute.
 
Ricardo Navarro would step up and convert the penalty to level the match at 2-2. Not done, the Spirit would continue the pressure and Navarro would finish a corner kick from Jacob Garcia and suddenly the home standing Spirit had a 3-2 lead less than eight minutes into the second half.
 
Playing with a lead OUAZ was able to dictate tempo for much of the final 30 minutes allowing UAV just two shots the rest of the game. The spirit would create multiple chances, but came up empty in looking for the insurance tally.
 
Navarro and Giovanni Ruelas finished with three shots apiece to lead OUAZ to a 13-7 edge in total shots. The Spirit put eight of their chances on goal and took four corner kicks.
 
After allowing the two goals early, Yuri Nascimento responded to make three saves in earning his second win of the season.
 
OUAZ will now take this three-game winning streak – the longest in the young history of the program – to the road where they will face NCAA Division II foe Dixie State on September 1 in St. George, Utah.