NAMPA, Idaho — Northwest Nazarene survived a second-half comeback attempt to edge Saint Martin's 4-3 on Thursday, snapping a two-game losing streak with a dramatic finish. The Crusaders (6-5-4) controlled much of the contest before the visiting Saints (1-14) mounted a furious rally that nearly forced extra time in this Great Northwest Athletic Conference clash.
Northwest Nazarene struck early through Derek Johnson in the 42nd minute, assisted by Jorge Gonzalez, establishing territorial dominance. Derek Remen doubled the advantage in the 72nd minute with help from Rylan McPherson, putting the hosts on course for a comfortable victory. Caleb Putney added a third goal in the 89th minute off a Carson Din and Derek Johnson setup, seemingly putting the match beyond reach at 3-0.
Saint Martin's refused to surrender, however. Jonathan Wright pulled one back in the 13th minute with an assist from Cameron Kreider and Paul Lopez, cutting the deficit to two. The Saints continued pressing, and Soren Hanson converted a penalty kick in the 62nd minute to make it 3-2, keeping his team alive despite trailing for most of the second half.
Paul Lopez's goal in the 74th minute narrowed the gap to one, setting up a tense final stretch. Northwest Nazarene's Derek Remen scored again in the 73rd minute to restore a two-goal cushion, but Saint Martin's relentless pressure kept the Crusaders on their heels. The Saints' offensive push created multiple scoring chances late, but goalkeeper Ger