With a stellar second-half performance, the University of Redlands men's soccer team prevailed over the Pomona-Pitzer Colleges Sagehens by a score of 3-1 on Wednesday in an important Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) showdown. With a little help from opposing conference teams, the Bulldogs' win allowed them to capture their 12th regular-season championship and the sixth under Head Coach Ralph Perez.  

The first half granted minimal scoring opportunities, as both teams traded four shots through 45 minutes of competition. Freshman goalkeeper Josh Haskill (Lakewood, CA) continued his strong showing as the Bulldogs' last line of defense, hauling in two saves to contribute to the scoreless first stanza.

The second half brought a powerful offensive attack from both squads. Redlands blasted two shots right out of the gate, compliments of freshman defender Casey ChubbFertal (Eugene, OR) and senior forward Charles Izydorek (Redlands, CA).

The Bulldogs hopped on the scoreboard in the 58th minute off a free kick, when freshman forward Chase Boone (Beaverton, OR) located the back of the net off of dual assists from freshman defender Ben Thompson (Spokane, WA) and senior forward Matej Kustura (Las Vegas, NV).

Watch the goal here.

However, Pomona-Pitzer answered back in the 61st minute to tie the score at 1-1.

The Maroon and Gray continued to press the Sagehen defense with impressive persistence. In doing so, the team garnered another free-kick opportunity that it converted into a goal in the 65th minute. Kustura bent the free kick to the far post, where sophomore defender Tom Elsea (Mission Viejo, CA) headed it past the goalkeeper for the 2-1 lead.

View the goal. 

The Bulldog defense held strong through the entire second half, as senior defender Nico Johnson (Las Vegas, CA) set the tone by aggressively challenging the Sagehens' offensive attempts.

In the 87th minute, the Bulldogs tacked on an insurance goal off of a counter during which Kustura located Izydorek in an opening that resulted in the goal for the 3-1 advantage.  Izydorek's late, second-half goal was his tenth goal in the last eight games.

Despite the Sagehens firing off 10 shots in the second half, Haskill was lights out between the posts, totaling six saves in the contest, including four in the final 45 minutes, en route to his ninth win on the season. 

With the triumph, the Bulldogs controlled their own destiny in the SCIAC standings. 

Following the game, Kustura shared his thoughts on the Bulldogs' journey to this point.

Minutes after earning the win, Redland learned that Chapman University edged Occidental College, allowing the Bulldogs to remain at the top of the conference as sole champions.

The Bulldogs (12-8, 11-5 SCIAC) now look forward to hosting a semifinal of the SCIAC Postseason Tournament on Thursday, November 6, at Farquhar Field. More details will be announced as they become available.