Benedictine University Mesa

Benedictine Mesa (AZ) continued its strong conference run Saturday night with a 2-0 victory over OUAZ at Santos Soccer Complex. The Redhawks improved to 6-1-1 overall and 4-0 in conference action with the win. 

The match remained scoreless through the first half despite both teams creating opportunities. Benedictine Mesa outshot OUAZ 12-7 in the opening 45 minutes, but goalkeeper Jack Murdoch kept the visitors in the match with four first-half saves. 

The breakthrough came early in the second half when Franco Marambio found the back of the net in the 50th minute. Shay Carey delivered the assist as Marambio scored the game's first goal at the 49:20 mark, giving the Redhawks a 1-0 advantage. 

OUAZ responded with pressure in attack, generating 15 second-half shots, but Benedictine Mesa goalkeeper Charlie Shepherd stood tall. The keeper made eight saves after halftime and finished the night with 11 saves to record the shutout. 

The Redhawks added an insurance goal in the 75th minute when Kobe Bewicke converted a setup from Abel Bello, doubling the lead to 2-0 at 74:40. 

Though OUAZ held a 22-20 edge in total shots, Benedictine Mesa was efficient with its chances and defensively resilient throughout the final stretch. Nickolas Linares Dominguez led OUAZ with eight shots and six shots on goal, but Shepherd denied every attempt on target. 

For Benedictine Mesa, Marambio and Bewicke each scored once, while Carey and Bello recorded assists. Shepherd's 11-save performance anchored the defensive effort as the Redhawks secured their fourth conference victory and fourth clean sheet of the season