Playing the reigning 5A champions is never easy. 

Jesuit was looking for revenge after losing to La Salle Prep 3-1 last year. Coming off a strong win against South Salem, the Crusaders looked to continue their momentum. The Falcons had recently come off from a 2-0 win against Bend, and an 8-0 win against Caldera. 

La Salle instantly started the game with intense pressure on Jesuit’s midfield. Within ten minutes, sophomore Vance Sheffield gave La Salle the lead with a calmly placed finish into the bottom corner after the ball fell to him in the box. The Falcons continued their dominance of the first half as they continued to win the ball and create chances. 

Although La Salle were controlling, Jesuit found a way back into the game after a corner from Nathan Peters found Richard Anderson in the box. His header went straight past La Salle’s keeper, tying the game. 

The Falcons almost took the lead at the end of the half when Vance Sheffield chipped the keeper and hit the post. After a frantic last minute of action, the half ended 1-1 with both sides finding themselves in a position to win the game. 

As the second half started, Jesuit picked up the pace and began finding a foothold in the game. Jesuit nearly scored a second when Kogen Albertini had his header denied by a goal line clearance. With La Salle on the backfoot, they took a more defensive approach as the game continued. 

The Crusaders tried to find a way through La Salle’s formidable center backs. Yet, the Falcons held on and both sides played out a 1-1 draw. Jesuit now moves to a 1-0-1 record and hope to find a better result against West Linn on Tuesday.