ASHLAND — Kaito Nakayama’s offense and some back-line dominance gave Southern Oregon a feel-good start to the Cascade Conference slate in a 2-0 win over Multnomah on Friday afternoon at Raider Stadium.

Nakayama had a goal and an assist as the No. 22-ranked Raiders (4-2-0) launched their CCC championship defense by preventing the Lions (2-3-0) from putting a single shot on goal. They’ve allowed three on-target shots combined in their three shutouts this season.

Franco Fasoli’s second goal of the fall gave SOU the lead in the 11th minute. Nakayama retrieved Sky Charley-Bolyard’s deflected pass near the top of the box and got rid of it before a pair of defenders converged, finding Fasoli wide on the left side and watching him skip it inside the far post on his first touch.

After a pair of near-misses, Nakayama broke through in the 65th minute when Ryosuke Tanaka found him in space on a breakaway. From the left side, he gathered and darted a short left-footed strike over Lions keeper Joseph Gyamfi.

Earlier in the half, Nakayama had one attempt clank the crossbar and another hit the post a moment before he was called offside. The goal was his first as a Raider, and the assist was his team-leading third.

The Raiders were dominant throughout while improving to 9-0 all-time against Multnomah. The Lions didn’t get a shot off in the first half and never seriously threatened in the second.

Fasoli was responsible for three of SOU’s eight on-target shots. Both of his goals this year have gone down as game-winners.

Dating back to 2022, the Raiders are 9-0-1 in their last 10 conference home games.

They have another at 1:30 p.m. Sunday against Warner Pacific. The Knights, who received votes in the latest NAIA Top 25 poll, upped their record to 5-1 with Friday’s 2-1 victory at Oregon Tech.

Women’s Soccer

MULTNOMAH 2, SOU 0: At Ashland, Multnomah goalkeeper Jennifer Alvillar put her stamp on the game from end line to end line in a 2-0 Cascade Conference-opening win against Southern Oregon on Friday afternoon at Raider Stadium.

Alvillar made seven saves to keep the score tied until her teammate, Annika Rahf, scored a long free kick for the go-ahead goal in the 81st minute. In the 84th, the keeper trekked down field to take a penalty kick that she lined under the crossbar, sealing the first ever victory for the Lions (3-2-2) over the Raiders (3-2-0).

Multnomah only generated one shot before Rahf’s free kick, which she lined up near the left sideline 25 yards up the field and placed perfectly inside the right post.

Alvillar had a few acrobatic saves among her haul. The most improbable of the bunch saw her dive as Frida Vargas approached full-speed on a breakaway and pick the ball off Vargas’ foot without making contact in the box. The shutout was her fourth of the season, and the goal was her first.

The Raiders had last been blanked at home early in the 2021 season. Vargas led them with two shots on goal.

They’re at Raider Stadium again at 11 a.m. Sunday to face Warner Pacific, which lost its CCC opener 6-0 at Oregon Tech.

Volleyball

SOU 3, WALLA WALLA 0: At College Place, Wash., Hannah Stadstad put down 12 kills, Linda Conceicao had six kills and six blocks, and No. 5 Southern Oregon cooled off Walla Walla (Wash.) with a 25-23, 25-17, 25-13 sweep Friday afternoon at Dietrich Activity Center.

The Raiders bounced back from their first loss with their top attacking average (.414) yet in a Cascade Conference match. They improved to 11-1 overall and 5-1 in the CCC as their four kills leaders on the day combined for 35 kills and only five attacking errors.

The Wolves (6-3, 5-2) watched their program-record winning streak end at five matches. Star attacker Sahara Browning, who entered the matchup leading the CCC with an average of 4.8 kills per set, was limited to 10 with seven errors on 28 swings.

The Raiders slowed them down with eight blocks and some solid floor defense, getting nine digs from Kayla Neidigh. Marin Mackey totaled nine kills, six digs and a pair of service aces, and Mylena Testoni contributed eight kills on a .438 average.

Friley Curtiss chipped in five kills and four blocks. Annie Hite had a match-high 22 assists with six digs.

SOU faced a 21-19 deficit in the first set before Stadstad took over with four kills during a 6-2 run that closed it. The Raiders never trailed in the second or third frames.

They remained unbeaten in 15 all-time meetings with the Wolves, who were among five one-loss teams in the standings behind 5-0 Corban when the day began.