ROCHESTER, Mich. — Oakland secured a crucial 2-1 victory over Wright State on Friday at Oakland Soccer Field, securing back-to-back wins and doing wonders for the Golden Grizzlies as they momentarily take sole control of third place in the conference standings with one game remaining in the season.
The Golden Grizzlies dominated the match, controlling a heavy chunk of the possession, outshooting 16 to 9, while also keeping the ball primarily on Wright State's end of the pitch.
Oakland started the first half assertively, with
Gabriel Baylon setting up
Andriy Bilous for an early goal in the 3rd minute, giving them a 1-0 advantage. This goal by Bilous marked him as the first Golden Grizzly to notch both a goal and an assist in the same match this season. Oakland maintained offensive pressure, and in the 16th minute,
Tim Allos extended the lead to 2-0 with assists from Bilous and
Noah Roka. This was Allos's team-leading sixth goal and Bilous' team-best fourth assist, further solidifying the duo as one of the top attacking threats in the conference. Despite the Raiders' attempts to respond, including a shot saved by a diving
Cole Thompson, Oakland's defense held firm. The half concluded with Oakland leading 2-0.
Oakland maintained pressure in the second half with consistent offensive efforts, including a shot by Christopher Jean Léger in the opening seconds, which was saved by the Raiders' goalkeeper. Bilous and
Jace Foster also attempted shots that were thwarted by Alessandro Malterer.
The Raiders capitalized on a late opportunity when Oskar Greven found the net in the 83rd minute, narrowing Oakland's lead to 2-1. Oakland's defense, led by goalkeeper Thompson, responded with key saves to preserve the advantage. The match concluded with Oakland securing a 2-1 victory.
Allos scored one goal and secured the game-winning goal for Oakland. Thompson made five saves during the match, with a slew of sprawling saves, allowing only one goal. Baylon contributed by adding one assist and took two shots.
Oakland closes out the season with a home match against IU Indy on Tuesday, Nov. 4 at 2 p.m.