The Benedictine Mesa Men's Soccer Team displayed a determined effort in their matchup against La Sierra, though they ultimately fell short in a closely contested game. The Redhawks started strong, with an early corner kick by Edwin Arias in the first minute, setting the tone for a competitive first half. Moritz Ae, starting as goalkeeper, made several crucial saves, including stopping a dangerous shot by La Sierra in the 18th minute.
 
Benedictine's defense held firm despite multiple fouls, and they created scoring opportunities, such as Carlos Barraza's shot in the 22nd minute, which went just high. The first half saw intense back-and-forth action, with La Sierra managing to capitalize on a set piece in the 42nd minute, scoring the first goal of the match, leaving Benedictine trailing 0-1 at halftime.
 
As the second half commenced, Benedictine continued to press for an equalizer but faced stiff resistance from La Sierra's defense. Despite a series of corner kicks by Edwin Arias and another strong save by Moritz Ae, La Sierra extended their lead to 0-2 in the 52nd minute. A third goal followed in the 56th minute, putting Benedictine in a difficult position.
 
However, the Redhawks showed remarkable resilience, with Gergo Varga scoring in the 78th minute to bring the score to 1-3. Just a minute later, Carlos Barraza found the back of the net, narrowing La Sierra's led to 2-3. Benedictine fought valiantly in the final minutes, with Barraza coming close again in the 81st minute, but his shot went high. Despite the Redhawks' relentless pressure, La Sierra held on, and the match ended in a narrow 2-3 defeat for Benedictine Mesa.
 
Key Players:

• Gergo Varga: took 3 shots with all 3 being on goal and scored one goal.
• Carlos Barraza: took 3 shots with one on goal and scored one goal.
• Mortiz Ae: had 5 saves during the match.

 
Looking Ahead:
The Redhawks are back on the field on Saturday, September 7^th as they play at Justice College at 8:00 AM.