TACOMA, Wash. -- The Logger men's soccer season opener was one to remember, as the team poured in four goals in a 4-0 beatdown of The Evergreen State College Geoducks.

How it Happened
The Loggers wasted no time getting on the score sheet, as just 2:50 into the game, Ethan Lu played a great ball into Jackson Smith, who took a nifty touch and found the back of the net. Smith, a member of the 2024 All-Northwest Conference team as a freshman, picked up right where he left off after netting seven goals and five assists last year. Less than two minutes later, Rhys Foote got his first goal of the season as well. Taj Fadool played a great ball in, and the Loggers got off to a blazing start after two goals in under five minutes.

From then on, a couple of bad fouls sent the Geoducks into the book, as Evergreen picked up three early yellow cards. The rest of the half saw a close call in the 17th minute as Fadool had a back-to-back chance that hit the crossbar on a second attempt, and good, controlled soccer by the Loggers. 

After a slow start to the second half, it slowly became the Rhys Foote show, as he picked up three shots on goal in a span of four minutes. He followed that up with a goal off a set-piece, finding the bottom right corner of the goal for his second of the game. Even with a 3-0 lead, the Loggers still applied pressure and made the Geoducks think twice about every move they made. 

Etienne Polak got in on the goal-scoring action after Edgar Tamayo Galegos made a fantastic move on the left side to set him up. The 70th-minute goal gave the Loggers a 4-0 lead, which they kept to the end of the game. 

Top Performers
Foote led the team in nearly all offensive categories today, picking up six shots, five on goal, and two goals to give the Loggers the win. Fadool also picked up four shots and an assist, and Luke Mamiya and Parker Norris combined for a shutout. 

Coach's Thoughts
"It was great to get off to a quick start, scoring two goals in the first five minutes and beginning the season with a 4-0 win," said Loggers head coach Steve Mohn. "It's still early and we have things to work on, but I was pleased with our offensive performance, and it was fantastic to get a shutout as well." 

What Happens Next
The Loggers continue their homestand as they host UC Santa Cruz next Friday, September 5th, at 3:00 pm.