The Benedictine Mesa men's soccer team showed resilience on Saturday night, battling back from a two-goal deficit to secure a 2–2 draw with Hope International at home.
The first half saw both sides create early chances, with
Jack Taylor,
Ryder Padgett, and
Edwin Arias testing Hope's keeper
Berlin Torres, who came up with several key saves. Despite Benedictine's attacking pressure, it was the Royals who struck first in the 44th minute when
Diego Albanez found the back of the net, giving Hope a 1–0 lead at the break.
Hope International doubled their advantage in the 62nd minute when
Vincent Lopez capitalized on a pass from
Gio Marin, making it 2–0. The Redhawks, however, refused to back down. In the 76th minute,
Gergo Varga converted a well-placed ball from
Ryder Padgett to cut the deficit in half.
Momentum shifted in Benedictine's favor late in the match when Hope's
Hugo Gonzalez received a red card in the 85th minute, leaving the Royals down a man. The Redhawks pushed forward, and in the 89th minute,
Ryder Skolka buried a penalty kick past substitute goalkeeper
Wyatt Schaap to equalize at 2–2.
Benedictine nearly found a winner in stoppage time after a series of dangerous corners, but the Royals' defense held firm to close out the draw.
Key Players
Looking Ahead
The Redhawks return to action on Thursday, September 15, when they hit the road to face Embry-Riddle.
