The No. 7 University of Redlands men's soccer team faced off against NCAA Division II competitor Cal State San Bernardino in an exhibition match under pristine conditions at Farquhar Field on Thursday night. With veteran leadership and plenty of depth, the Bulldogs edged the Coyotes in a 1-0 decision to start the 2017 season on a positive note.

Senior forward Chase Boone (Beaverton, OR) and senior midfield Alexander Knox (Seattle, WA) fired off shots early with back-to-back blasts for the Bulldogs. Redlands kept up the offensive pressure by out-shooting the Coyotes, 7-2, in the first 20 minutes of action.

At the 26-minute mark, Redlands showcased its depth by subbing in six pairs of fresh feet. After eight more minutes of scoreless action, the Maroon and Gray capitalized on a scramble near the edge of the box in front of the CSUSB goalkeeper. Junior defender Spencer Scott (Beaverton, OR) served it to senior forward Cameron Doody (Arvada, CO) who found the feet of sophomore midfielder Dylan Carlyle (San Jose, CA), who gathered the ball and accurately found the upper-left corner of the net for the 1-0 Bulldog advantage.

The second frame saw more offensive pressure from the visiting team, which forced Redlands to play outstanding defense. Scott and junior defender Joey Kenney (Portland, OR) stepped up with defensive body-blocks to keep CSUSB off the board.

Both teams had great looks in the second half but none were successful, ending in a 1-0 Redlands exhibition victory.

Redlands utilized plenty of its roster, with 22 players seeing time on the pitch.  This included three freshmen. 

Senior goalkeepers John Melito (Keller, TX) and Josh Haskill (Lakewood, CA) split time between the posts with Haskill recording one save and Melito snagging four in the win.

The Bulldogs look forward to hosting Division II Cal Poly Pomona on Sunday, August 27, for another exhibition game before heading to Texas for their official NCAA Division III season-opener.