KLAMATH FALLS, Ore. – The Benedictine University Mesa men's soccer team opened strong on the road against Oregon Tech, but a late second-half goal from the Owls forced a 1–1 draw on Thursday evening.
The Redhawks struck first in the 5th minute when
Ryder Padgett found the back of the net off an assist from
Jack Taylor, putting Benedictine Mesa up 1–0. That early goal energized the Redhawks' attack, with shots coming from
Tshepiso Ntuli,
Padgett, and
Wiktor Blachowicz, though Oregon Tech goalkeeper
Harvey Bolland held firm to keep the deficit at one.
Benedictine Mesa nearly doubled its lead late in the first half when
Jimmy Quintero forced another save from Bolland, but the Owls held on as the Redhawks entered halftime up 1–0.
The second half saw a physical, back-and-forth battle as both sides created chances.
Carlos Barraza and
Ntuli each tested the Oregon Tech defense, while goalkeeper
Moritz Ae made key stops to deny the Owls, including a big save in the 63rd minute against
Merrick Tambio.
The Redhawks had their best second-half chance in the 79th minute when substitute
Gergo Varga fired a shot that beat the keeper but rattled off the post, keeping the scoreline tight.
Oregon Tech found the breakthrough inthe 88th minute, leveling the match at 1–1 on a goal from
Eric McGuire, assisted by
Ben Bradshaw off a corner-kick sequence. Despite late efforts from both sides, neither team could find the winner before the final whistle.
The match featured a flurry of fouls and yellow cards, highlighting the intensity of the contest. The Redhawks were shown cautions late to
Shiloh Perez,
Pol Bistue, and
Ryder Padgett, while Oregon Tech picked up bookings for
Dalton Rideout,
Andrew George, and
Cash Cota.
With the draw, Benedictine Mesa leaves Oregon with a valuable result, having controlled much of the early tempo and showing resilience in a physical matchup.
Key Players:
Ryder Padgett: 2 shots, 1 shot on goal, 1 goal
Wiktor Blachowicz: 1 shot on goal
Jimmy Quintero: 1 shot on goal
Moritz Ae: 2 saves
Looking Ahead: The Redhawks are back on the field on Saturday, August 23
rd as they take on Southern Oregon University at 10 AM.
