Benedictine Mesa came out strong in the first half against The Master's, quickly establishing dominance on the field. The Redhawks showed early attacking intent, with
Lushil Abbia firing a wide shot just two minutes into the game, followed by a corner from
Edwin Arias in the third minute.
Tholo Malebo tested The Master's goalkeeper Julian Graham at the 4-minute mark, but Graham made the save.
Benedictine maintained pressure, firing several shots wide as they looked to break through the visitor's defense. Substitutions in the 17th minute brought fresh energy, and the Redhawks soon capitalized. In the 32nd minute,
Shiloh Perez found the back of the net off an assist from
Rene Yebra and
Tshepiso Ntuli, putting Benedictine ahead. Just two minutes later,
Ryder Padgett doubled the lead with a powerful finish, making it 2-0.
The Redhawks kept the momentum going, nearly adding to their lead with shots from
Tshepiso Ntuli and Padgett. Despite some defensive saves by The Master's, Benedictine's relentless attack kept the visitors scrambling. However, the Redhawks picked up a couple of yellow cards late in the half. The Master's had a brief threat before halftime, but Trent Rickard's shot struck the crossbar, leaving the score 2-0 at the break.
Benedictine Mesa continued to control the game in the second half, applying constant pressure on The Master's defense. Early on, Malebo's shot was saved by Graham, who remained busy throughout the match.
Carlos Barraza and
Lushil Abbia also forced Graham into action, but the score stayed 2-0.
The Master's found a bit of rhythm around the 60th minute, but Benedictine's goalkeeper
Rafael Machado was up to the task, making critical saves on shots from Rickard, Prince Chingancheke, and a header by Peyton Gorans. Despite the visitors' efforts, Benedictine's defense held firm.
In the 83rd minute,
Tshepiso Ntuli sealed the game with a goal, assisted by
Ethan Lush and
Ryder Padgett, putting the Redhawks up 3-0. Machado made a few more key saves late in the game to secure the clean sheet, and Benedictine closed out the match with a dominant 3-0 victory.
Key Performances:
Looking Ahead: The Redhawks return to action on Thursday, October 24th, as they take on Life Pacific on the road.
