Bulldog Men's Soccer Snaps Skid with 3-0 Win over Oxy

Charles Izydorek notched a goal and an assist in the Bulldogs' important victory over Occidental (photo credit: Su DelGuercio).
Charles Izydorek notched a goal and an assist in the Bulldogs' important victory over Occidental (photo credit: Su DelGuercio).

The University of Redlands men's soccer team headed to Eagle Rock on Saturday night for an important Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) contest against Occidental College. With a multi-goal effort, the Bulldogs broke out of their recent slump by recording their second SCIAC victory of the season in a 3-0 showing against the Tigers.

Junior midfielder Pat Roraff (Redlands, CA) kicked off the scoring for the Bulldogs, when he netted the first goal of the game off of an assist by senior forward Charles Izydorek (Redlands, CA) in the 17th minute.

The Maroon and Gray persisted with its offensive mindset, as freshman midfielder Sergio Valencia (San Jose, CA), junior midfielder AJ VanderStaay (Bellingham, WA), freshman forward Chase Boone (Beaverton, OR), and junior midfielder Gustavo Orozco (San Rafael, CA) all uncorked quality shots in the first half.

During the second stanza, the Tigers registered three-consecutive corner kicks, but the Bulldogs' defense kept them off the scoreboard with tenacity and effort.

In the 49th minute, the Bulldogs added to their lead, when sophomore defender Tom Elsea (Mission Viejo, CA) locked in on the back off the net to fire off a score.

Just minutes later, Izydorek joined in the Bulldog scoring fever, as he blasted a goal of his own to expand the lead to 3-0. Senior forward Matej Kustura (Las Vegas, NV) provided his team-leading third assist on the play.

Led by senior Nico Johnson (Las Vegas, NV), freshman Casey ChubbFertal (Eugene, OR), sophomore Jared Bales (Issaquah, WA), and Elsea, the Redlands backline gave little room to the Tigers, resulting in the shutout victory. In addition, freshman goalkeeper John Melito (Portland, OR) provided superb play between the pipes, recording three saves in a complete-game performance for the win.

The Bulldogs (3-5, 2-2) take on SCIAC foe, Cal Lutheran University (2-3-2, 1-2-1 SCIAC), on Wednesday at 7 p.m. under the lights of Farquhar Field. ​