Benedictine University Mesa

The Benedictine Mesa men's soccer team punched its ticket to the GSAC Tournament Championship on Thursday night, earning a 1-0 road victory over Embry-Riddle (AZ) in the conference semifinals. The win sends the Redhawks into Monday's championship match against The Master's, scheduled for 2 p.m. MST in Santa Clarita, California. 

The Redhawks controlled much of the match offensively, out shooting the Eagles 16-12 while placing seven shots on goal. Benedictine created early opportunities through Kobe Bewicke, Shay Carey, and Bistue, forcing the Embry-Riddle defense to stay on its heels throughout the opening half. 

The breakthrough came just before halftime. After earning a corner kick in the 43rd minute, Lampros Zervas delivered a service into the box that found Josh Arnold, who buried the chance at the 43:35 mark for his second goal of the season and a 1-0 Benedictine lead. 

Holding a narrow advantage, the Redhawks continued to pressure the Eagles after the break. Benedictine nearly doubled its lead early in the second half when Skolka struck the post in the 52nd minute. Additional chances from Christian Mata, Skolka, and Bewicke kept pressure on the Embry-Riddle defense, but the lone first-half goal proved enough.

Defensively, Benedictine was outstanding. The Redhawks limited Embry-Riddle to just two shots on goal and eight total attempts that missed the target. Goalkeeper Charlie Shepherd made two saves and recorded the shutout, while the back line turned away repeated second-half attacks to preserve the victory. 

Bewicke led the attack with five shots, while Skolka added three. Arnold, Carey, Bistue, Santiago Avedano, and Mata each registered a shot on goal for the Redhawks. 

With the victory, Benedictine advances to the GSAC Tournament Championship match and will travel to face The Master's on Monday at 2 p.m. MST with the conference tournament title on the line.