PORTLAND, Ore. – A penalty kick in the 36th minute gave Cascade College their final lead as they went on to claim a 3-1 victory over Northwest Christian University on Wednesday afternoon in Cascade Collegiate Conference men's soccer action.

The Thunderbirds got on the board early when Fernando Montiel took a through ball from Wondi Ali and finished to the left for the 1-0 lead. The Beacons knotted the contest in the 25th minute when freshman Carlos Sandoval (pictured above) scored his first collegiate goal, firing an 18-yard blast after creating his own turnover off of a failed clearance by the Cascade defense.

Head Coach Chris Bolton said, “That goal was a great boost for Carlos. I think that was something he really needed to add a bright spot to his freshman season.”

The fateful PK happened in the 36th minute with Ali scoring what amounted to the game winner. The Thunderbirds went on to add an insurance goal in the first minute of the second half when Montiel took a long cross from Juan Manzanarez, crossed up the Beacon goalkeeper and scored his second of the afternoon.

“We competed well,” said Bolton, whose team got off seven shots-on-goal in the contest. “As we continue to see other teams and other venues in our conference we will gain experience. This is a team that we can give a good run to the next time around.”

The Beacons (1-5-1, 0-3 CCC) will be back in action on Saturday at they travel to Klamath Falls, to face Oregon Institute of Technology. The opening kick-off is scheduled for 7:00 pm.