Benedictine Mesa came out strong in the first half, with goalie Josephine Cisneros setting a solid defensive tone early on. In the 4th minute, she made a crucial save against Park-Gilbert's Michelle Munoz. Park-Gilbert's Vanessa Miller tried a header a few minutes later but sent it wide. Benedictine soon tested Park-Gilbert's keeper, Morgan Trail, with a header from Elena Rivera in the 10th minute, which Trail managed to save.
At the 15:31 mark, Benedictine's offensive efforts paid off as Brylee Rod scored the first goal of the match off an assist from Maya Shearon, giving the Redhawks a 1-0 lead. Park-Gilbert continued to press but was denied by another save from Cisneros on a shot by Mya Mudry in the 19th minute.
The first half saw multiple substitutions on both sides, as well as continued offensive play from Benedictine, with Rod and Julia Bodelasse each taking additional shots that Trail saved. Benedictine's defense held strong through multiple Park-Gilbert corner kicks, keeping them scoreless at halftime.
Benedictine entered the second half with a 1-0 lead and a solid defensive setup. Park-Gilbert applied pressure early, but Cisneros made a key save on a header from Bekah Sipinga in the 53rd minute. In the 64th minute, Benedictine extended their lead to 2-0 when Alexis Abbott scored, assisted by Dahlia Alonso.
Park-Gilbert ramped up their offensive efforts, eventually breaking through Benedictine's defense. In the 84th minute, Bekah Sipinga scored to make it 2-1, and just two minutes later, Emma Alvarez found the net to level the score at 2-2. Despite Benedictine's attempts to regain control, Park-Gilbert's Taliyah Parker secured the winning goal in the 88th minute off an assist from Hallie Benson, giving Park-Gilbert a 3-2 edge. Benedictine fought until the final whistle but was unable to equalize, resulting in a tough loss despite a valiant effort.
Key Individuals:
Looking Ahead:
The Redhawks will celebrate Senior Night in their last home game on Saturday, November 2, at 5 PM.
