The Benedictine Mesa men's soccer team erased an early deficit with a second-half goal from Felix Ehrlich, but the Redhawks were unable to complete the comeback, falling 2-1 to Park-Gilbert on Saturday night at AZ Athletic Grounds.
Park-Gilbert struck quickly, scoring twice in the opening five minutes of the match. Anton Aaltonen converted a penalty kick in the fourth minute before assisting on a goal by Ilan Rodriguez-Roda less than a minute later to give the Buccaneers a 2-0 advantage.
Despite the early setback, the Redhawks settled into the match and generated opportunities throughout the evening. Benedictine earned six corner kicks in the first half and finished with a commanding 24-16 advantage in shots while also holding an edge in corners, 15-6.
The Redhawks carried the momentum into the second half, peppering the Park-Gilbert goal with chances. Their breakthrough came in the 63rd minute when Shay Carey found Felix Ehrlich, who buried his first goal of the season to cut the deficit to 2-1.
Benedictine continued to push for the equalizer, recording 17 second-half shots and forcing Park-Gilbert goalkeeper Nicklas Lagesen to make seven saves after halftime. Carey led the Redhawks with five shots and three shots on goal, while Ehrlich added three attempts. Athanasiou Athanasios contributed three shots, including two on frame.
Charlie Shepherd made three saves in goal for Benedictine, keeping the Redhawks within striking distance throughout the contest. The Redhawks nearly found a late equalizer when Kobe Bewicke's attempt struck the crossbar in the 82nd minute, but Park-Gilbert held on for the one-goal victory.
