Riverside, Calif. - The men's soccer team fell to The Master's University, 3-2, in tonight's non-conference match-up. It was the third consecutive match that the Golden Eagles have lost by a one-goal margin. The team drops to 0-4 on the season, despite showing improvement on the field.
Despite the outcome and the team's early season record, head coach Jesse Olivas is happy with how his team is shaping into form. "I felt the team played well. I think we are definitely growing as a group. There are a lot of new faces and I really like what we are doing. I know the record doesn't show it, however the improvement we have made from our first match until now is great. We scheduled tough opponents to prepare us for a tough conference schedule. I think we are headed in the right direction," said Olivas.
The Golden Eagles fell behind 1-0 when the Mustangs jumped on a loose ball in the goal area in the 19th minute of play. But La Sierra answered back when Pedro Blaquier connected with Felipe Mendizabal who scored his first goal (27th minute) of the season and tied the score at 1-1.
Israel Vasquez gave the Golden Eagles a 2-1 lead with his team-high third goal of the season, which came unassisted. But the lead lasted just over a minute as the Golden Eagles were whistled for a foul in the penalty box, resulting in a penalty kick for the Mustangs, which they ultimately capitalized on and tied the match at 2-2 heading into the halftime break.
Bemjamin Tembo scored the only goal of the second half and it proved to be the winning goal, in favor of The Master's who improved to 5-1 on the season.
The Mustangs outshot the Golden Eagles 14-9 with only a slight 5-4 advantage in shots on goal. The Master's did however hold a distinct 8-1 advantage in total shots in the second half.
The team will have 10 days until their next match to continue the growth and development that Coach Olivas made reference to. The Golden Eagles will host Hope International University on Thursday, September 14, at 7pm.
