NEWBERG, Ore. - Stout defensive efforts by both teams were the order of the day as the visiting Oregon Institute of Technology Owls and the George Fox University Bruins, in their 2012 men's soccer season opener, shut down each other for a 0-0 tie in two overtimes in a non-conference match Saturday night here at the Austin Sports Complex.

When the 110 minutes of scoreless action was over, the teams had wrestled on comparatively even terms, with George Fox taking 20 overall shots to 14 for Oregon Tech, while the Owls held an 8-5 advantage in shots on goal.  Both teams' best chances to win came in the second overtime when OIT's Cody Jones sent a liner from 15 yards out about a foot-and-a-half over the crossbar at 102:25, and the Bruins' Angelo Florez drilled a hard shot toward the net from 10 yards away at 108:26 that was snared by Owls' keeper Loren Jessen.

Florez took the most shots in the game with five, while Ashton Betts and Talon Wyatt had three shots apiece for the Owls.  George Fox keeper Elliott Davis recorded eight saves and Jessen had five for Tech in the double shutout.  Corner kicks were even at six each.  The Bruins committed 13 fouls to eight for the visitors, and had five offsides calls to one for OIT. 

It was the first game for the Bruins under their new head coach, Luis Del Rio,a native of Mexico who led Woodburn (Ore.) High School to a 51-4 record in three seasons and to state championships in 2010 and 2011.

NEXT:  George Fox hosts Northwest University of Washington, an NAIA team from the Cascade Collegiate Conference, in a non-league match Monday at 3:00 p.m. ... Oregon Tech visits Simpson University in Redding, Calif., Wednesday at 7:00 p.m.