The Benedictine Mesa men's soccer team battled hard on Tuesday evening but came up just short, falling 2–1 to La Sierra University in a competitive GSAC matchup.
The opening half saw both sides trade chances, with
Rafael Machado making key saves in goal to keep the match level. The Redhawks generated several opportunities through
Raegan Rintoul and
Gergo Varga, while
Jack Jackson and Jack Taylor anchored the defense and helped create looks off set pieces.
After a scoreless first 45 minutes, the match opened up in the second half. La Sierra struck first in the 66th minute when
Carlos Leon broke through to put the Golden Eagles ahead 1–0. Benedictine responded quickly — just two minutes later,
Ethan Lush netted the equalizer off an assist from
Jack Jackson, tying the match 1–1.
Despite the Redhawks' momentum, La Sierra regained the lead in the 75th minute with a goal from
Sean Palena, which ultimately stood as the game-winner. Benedictine continued to press late, nearly finding the equalizer as
Edwin Arias's strike in the 89th minute rattled off the crossbar.
Key Players:
Looking Ahead:
The Redhawks return to action on
October 18 as they head on the road to play Park Gilbert.
