Benedictine Mesa men's soccer earned a hard-fought 1-1 draw against conference foe Embry-Riddle (AZ) on Thursday night.

The Redhawks struck first in the 20th minute when Ryder Skolka calmly buried a penalty kick, giving Benedictine a 1-0 advantage. That early lead was the reward for a strong opening stretch where Benedictine pushed into the attacking third with shots from Raegan Rintoul, Abel Bello, and Ryder Padgett.

Defensively, the Redhawks leaned on goalkeeper Aidan Klein, who commanded his box and made key stops to keep Embry-Riddle from finding an equalizer in the first half. The physical tone of the game was clear early, as both sides picked up multiple fouls and yellow cards before halftime.

The Eagles broke through in the second half, leveling the match in the 66th minute on a goal by Sean Maguire. Despite conceding, Benedictine continued to press forward, creating several promising chances. Rintoul and Padgett each threatened late, while substitutes Gergo Varga and Ethan Lush added fresh energy in attack.

Both teams traded shots down the stretch, but neither could find the go-ahead goal as the match closed at 1-1.

Key Players

• Ryder Skolka: 1 shot on goal, 1 goal
• Gergo Varga: 2 shots, 1 on goal
• Ryder Padgett: 3 shots, 1 on goal

Looking Ahead
The Redhawks return home on Saturday to take on Arizona Christian.