HILLSBORO, Kan. – The Avila defense turned in a strong overall performance but the Eagle offense (3-10-1, 1-7-1 KCAC) never could break through, allowing Tabor (6-6-1, 3-4-1 KCAC) to hold on for a 2-0 home victory on Saturday afternoon.

After a surprisingly successful season in 2021 the Bluejays have fallen back to earth somewhat in 2022, but they are still a likely KCAC Tournament team anchored by an experienced defense and goalkeeper, and they all conspired to keep Avila from generating too many A-quality chances on the road Saturday.

Meanwhile, the Tabor offense managed to break through twice courtesy of a player the Eagles know well: Sam Butler, who scored against Avila in Kansas City last year and scored twice in Hillsboro in the span of less than 12 minutes to give the home team a 2-0 lead inside the first half hour.

The Eagles made plenty of plays in this game: Jaime Gomez and Brennan Ortega put three combined shots on goal, Naguib Nassir made three saves, and the defense blocked three Bluejay shots in the first half alone. All of that kept the Eagles in the game, but they never could find their breakthrough. Malcolm Goswell and David Kehring had chances in the second half but that was as close as Avila could get in a 2-0 Tabor win.

Up next, Avila men's soccer returns home to The Z for a matchup against local rival Saint Mary on Wednesday, October 19. Kickoff is scheduled for 3:30 PM following the conclusion of the women's match; as always, you can watch all the action live on the Avila Sports Network.