The Benedictine Mesa men's soccer team earned a crucial point on Thursday night, battling to a 2-2 draw with Arizona Christian in its regular-season finale at ACU Soccer Field.
Benedictine struck first in the 20th minute when Kobe Bewicke found the back of the net off an assist from Bryan Ncube, giving the Redhawks a 1-0 advantage. Arizona Christian responded less than nine minutes later as Raul Aranda scored the equalizer, sending the match into halftime tied 1-1.
The Firestorm took the lead in the 73rd minute when Aranda collected his second goal of the match. The Redhawks answered immediately, however, as Ryder Skolka scored just 44 seconds later to level the contest at 2-2 and swing momentum back toward Benedictine.
Both teams generated chances throughout the second half, but neither side could find a go-ahead goal. Goalkeeper Rafael Machado came up with several key saves down the stretch, finishing the night with five stops to preserve the draw.
The Redhawks outshot Arizona Christian 18-14 and held a 5-3 advantage in corner kicks. Ncube led Benedictine with four shots, while Bewicke added three shots and a goal. Skolka recorded the equalizer, and Machado anchored the defense in goal.
With the regular season complete, Benedictine will take on Arizona Christian again on Monday at 6 PM for the first round of the GSAC Tournament.
