Benedictine Mesa men's soccer dropped a 4-0 conference matchup to Arizona Christian on Saturday afternoon at Santos Soccer Complex.
Arizona Christian took the lead in the ninth minute when Jose Garcia converted a penalty kick. Garcia struck again in the 18th minute before Nathan Tchiakpe added another goal just 24 seconds later, giving the Firestorm a 3-0 advantage heading into halftime.
Despite the early deficit, Benedictine continued to create opportunities. Shay Carey put two first-half shots on goal, while Sander Kuehn also tested the Arizona Christian goalkeeper late in the opening half. The Redhawks generated five first-half corner kicks.
The Redhawks continued to push forward after the break, recording seven shots in the second half. Jackson O'Connor, Lampros Zervas and Eddie Webb each put second-half attempts on goal, but Benedictine was unable to break through. Arizona Christian added its final goal in the 74th minute through Caleb Anderson.
Benedictine finished the match with 13 shots, including six on goal. Carey and Zervas led the Redhawks with three shots apiece, while Charlie Shepherd recorded eight saves in goal. Arizona Christian finished with 22 shots and 12 attempts on goal.
