While going undefeated in Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) action with a 12-0-2 record, the University of Redlands men's soccer team captured the program's 15th regular-season title, the ninth under Head Coach Ralph Perez, and the fourth consecutive for a decorated class of seniors. The Bulldogs put together an overall mark of 14-4-2, which led to numerous awards, including eight All-SCIAC selections, four All-West Region honorees, a College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) Academic All-District recipient, and an All-America nod. Although the Maroon and Gray missed out on the NCAA Championships, the squad had much to celebrate throughout this exceptional season.
Redlands kicked off the 2017 campaign with exhibition games against NCAA Division II opponents Cal State San Bernardino and Cal Poly Pomona. The Bulldogs edged CSUSB in a hard-fought, 1-0 showing and then used a second-half scoring frenzy to tie 15th-ranked Cal Poly Pomona in a 4-4 draw.
The Maroon and Gray officially opened its season in San Antonio, TX, where the team faced the University of Texas at Tyler and No. 12 Trinity University. Despite taking the exact same number of shots, the Bulldogs' attempts never came to fruition, eventually resulting in a close 0-1 decision to UT-Tyler. After giving up two early goals to Trinity, the Bulldogs battled back to tie it up by the 77th minute. Senior midfielder Casey ChubbFertal (Eugene, OR) converted a pass from junior midfielder Arman Mogharei (Hayward, CA) and senior midfielder Alexander Knox (Seattle, WA) knocked one past the goalkeeper to make it 2-2. However, Redlands' rally lit a fire within Trinity, which successfully put two more goals through the posts to send the Bulldogs back to California with another loss.
Three days later, Redlands opened conference competition with a 2-0 triumph when it took on the Occidental College Tigers in Eagle Rock. Casey ChubbFertal converted a cross from senior midfielder Sergio Valencia (San Jose, CA) for the eventual game-winner in the shutout victory. On a counterattack, less than three minutes into the second half, the Maroon and Gray worked the ball into its offensive third, where Knox sent the ball towards the center of the box for sophomore forward Antony Chonga's (San Diego, CA) quick redirect into the back of the net.
After a tough, home-opening loss to No. 20 Carnegie Mellon University (PA), the Bulldogs rallied back against Pomona-Pitzer Colleges and Cal Lutheran University for two impressive, come-from-behind wins. Senior defender Ben Thompson (Spokane, WA) headed in the game-winning goal off a Valencia free kick in the 83rd minute against the Sagehens. Knox continued his hot start to the season by scoring the winning goal off a deflection in the 20th minute against the Kingsmen.
Next, the Maroon and Gray met the University of La Verne Leopards in a highly anticipated showdown under the lights on Farquhar Field. Midway through the second half, Redlands held a 2-1 lead off of successful penalty kicks by Chonga and junior forward Kayvon Parsa (West Hills, CA). On a throw-in in the 71st minute, Casey ChubbFertal fired the ball into the box, where multiple players went up for the header and knocked it back out. With the ball still in the air, Valencia volleyed a rocket of a shot into the back of the net through traffic for the insurance goal in a 3-1 win. Defensively, senior goalkeeper Josh Haskill (Lakewood, CA) stepped up by making six nice saves in the victory.
A few days later, the Bulldogs continued their positive ways against conference foes with a 3-2 victory on the road against Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Colleges. After senior forward Chase Boone (Beaverton, OR) and Casey ChubbFertal put Redlands on the board with a goal apiece, the team secured the eventual game-winner on a unique turn of events in the 71st minute. Senior goalkeeper John Melito (Keller, TX) initiated the play when he booted a goal kick deep into CMS' offensive third, where senior forward Cameron Doody (Arvada, CO) flicked it to Chonga, who chipped it over the Stag goalkeeper for the team's third netter of the game.
From late September into early October, the Bulldogs dominated their next four opponents with a 15-0 scoring margin. This excellent run began against Whittier College, with Boone and Parsa teaming up for three goals and two assists. Thanks to the stingy defensive performance of Thompson, junior Joey Kenney (Portland, OR), and sophomores Dylan Carlyle (San Jose, CA) and Matias Lazo-Fanning (Seattle, WA), Haskill only had to make one save to secure the shutout victory over the Poets.
Parsa also made the game-deciding penalty kick in the team's 1-0 win against Chapman University to maintain the squad's clean sheet of conference results.
The Maroon and Gray's stretch of success remained against non-conference competitor, UC Santa Cruz. In an impressive offensive showing, the team took 25 shots en route to the 4-0 win. Chonga's first of two goals came off Arman Mogharei's assist in an impressive tandem development. Late in the opening frame, Arman Mogharei sent a through-ball over the defender's head directly to Chonga, who juked out some defenders with his feet before sending the ball across the box into the bottom-left corner of the net for Redlands' 1-0 advantage. First-year midfielder Derrin Valeri (Atlanta, GA) entered the game in the 63rd minute and made an immediate impact. After using some fancy footwork to elude the Banana Slug defenders, he blasted a ball through the goalkeeper's legs for an impressive first goal of his young career at Redlands. But Valeri wasn't done yet, as he capitalized again just a minute later. Once Boone slotted a nice pass past the backline to Valeri, he one-touched it through the posts for his second score and the team's fourth goal of the evening.
Redlands continued to utilize its new talent in the 7-0 thrashing of Caltech, as first-year midfielder Collin ChubbFertal (Eugene, OR) found the back of the net in the 26th minute for the first goal of his Bulldog career. Impressively, he finished the game with a hat trick, while Doody provided a pair of scores to lead the Maroon and Gray. Redlands registered another first in the win, as first-year forward Nick Susac (Los Angeles, CA) slotted a penalty kick past the goalkeeper for his inaugural goal in a Bulldog uniform. In addition, sophomore goalkeepers Noah Natividad (San Diego, CA) and Emilio Raby-Newsom (Chicago, IL) gained quality minutes between the pipes to help preserve the shutout.
When Redlands ran into the La Verne Leopards for the second time during the season, the team was forced to do a major gut check in an amazing display of heart and determination. While facing a two-goal deficit and playing a man down for 75 minutes, the Bulldogs walked away with a hard-fought, double-overtime, 2-2 draw to keep their SCIAC, undefeated streak alive.
The Maroon and Gray impressed its alumni-heavy crowd on October 14 with a decisive 3-0 triumph over CMS. Lazo-Fanning worked the ball up into the near corner and launched a nice, high pass towards the goal that found the head of Casey ChubbFertal for the 1-0 Bulldog advantage and eventual game-winner in just the eighth minute of action. In addition, Boone and Valencia each found the back of the net to frustrate the Stags on Farquhar Field.
Redlands kept up the momentum against conference foes with a 4-1 showing over the Whittier Poets. Kenney worked both ends of the field nicely, as he scored a goal and served up an assist. Casey ChubbFertal chucked a monster throw-in towards goal, which found the head of Kenney for a 2-0 advantage in the 30th minute. Kenney also assisted on the Bulldogs' subsequent goal. After a big cross from Carlyle, Kenney tried to recreate the magic with another header but instead found Boone, who knocked it in with his head for the team's third goal of the game.
After a challenging, 1-1 tie against Cal Lutheran, the Bulldogs concluded the regular season with a pair of wins over Pomona-Pitzer and Occidental to wrap up their 12-0-2 record. After Carlyle served a nice, high ball into the box on a corner kick, the Sagehens tried to clear it but instead sent the ball straight to Valencia. He quickly settled the ball before blasting it through traffic from 30 yards out for an impressive golazo. With this win, the Bulldogs officially sealed the deal on their 15th regular-season title.
The Occidental Tigers made things interesting for Redlands on Senior Day, but the Bulldogs rallied to capture a 2-1 overtime win. Before kickoff, the Maroon and Gray celebrated the careers of 11 incredible seniors, including forward Kamal Bilal (Chicago, IL), midfielders Will MacFarlane (Park City, UT) and Anthony Royer (La Crescenta, CA), Casey ChubbFertal, Boone, Valencia, Doody, Knox, Thompson, Haskill, and Melito. The Bulldogs jumped on the board on a counterattack in the 37th minute. Valencia slipped a through-ball to Chonga, who one-touched it around a defender and sent it into the bottom-right corner of the net for the 1-0 Redlands advantage. Haskill came up big-time in the first stanza, saving all six of Occidental's shots on goal. However, the Tigers took advantage of a second-half miscue, which resulted in the equalizer and eventually sent the game into overtime. Redlands successfully converted a penalty kick in the second minute to steal the win. Chonga stepped up to the line and fired it past the diving Tiger goalkeeper for the golden-goal win.
With the regular-season championship in hand, Redlands looked forward to hosting the SCIAC Postseason Tournament as the No. 1 seed. The Bulldogs faced the fourth-seeded Sagehens for the second time in a week and the third time this season. In a total-team effort, the Maroon and Gray orchestrated an amazing second half that included three goals in a 12-minute span. With Redlands remaining persistent in the offensive third, it was only a matter of time for it to find the break-through. In the 56th minute, Boone took the ball up the far side, juked some defenders, and found the far corner of the net to put the Bulldogs up, 1-0. Beginning about eleven minutes later, Redlands scored twice in a 40-second span, with Chonga and Collin ChubbFertal earning the goals and Boone and Doody providing the assists. Late in the game, junior midfielder Jesus Avalos (Indio, CA) and junior defender Spencer Scott (Portland, OR) each supplied nice corner kicks in the Bulldogs' offensive effort. Redlands' defensive unit of Thompson, Kenney, Lazo-Fanning, and Carlyle provided great pressure and presence along the backline, as Haskill only had to make one save on the night.
With the solid semifinal win, the Bulldogs squared off against Cal Lutheran in the SCIAC Postseason Tournament Championship. Despite outshooting the Kingsmen, 23-15, the Bulldogs could not capitalize on their chances and ultimately suffered a heartbreaking 1-2 loss in overtime. Down 0-1 with only 10 minutes remaining in the second half, Parsa stepped up to convert a high-pressure penalty kick for the 1-1 equalizer. In overtime, Valencia, Boone, and Collin ChubbFertal each had great looks at goal but none went through the posts. Still stuck in a stalemate, the game moved into the second overtime. The Bulldogs' energy rolled over into the new period, with Valencia firing a shot on goal that the Kingsmen goalkeeper had to save. Arman Mogharei and Collin ChubbFertal each had chances as well, but nothing went in. CLU managed to get past the Bulldog defense for the game-winner in the 105th minute in a heartbreaking loss for the home team.
Sadly, Redlands did not receive an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament but still had plenty to celebrate with all of the individual accolades. The Bulldogs topped the competition with eight All-SCIAC nods on nine awards, including Casey ChubbFertal's Men's Soccer Athlete of the Year award. Boone, Parsa, Thompson, and Mogharei earned First-Team honors, while Haskill, Valencia, and Chonga landed on the Second Team.
Out of this group of eight elite players, Casey ChubbFertal, Boone, Haskill, and Thompson represented Redlands on the United Soccer Coaches All-West Region Team. Furthermore, Casey ChubbFertal achieved All-American status for the first time in his incredible career. He now ranks among the Bulldogs' top-10 marks in every statistical category. Not only was he a standout on the field but also in the classroom, providing an exemplary combination that led him to be named the 2018 Frank Serrao Senior Male Student-Athlete of the Year, which is Redlands' highest athletic honor.
Finally, Thompson represented the Bulldogs among the best and the brightest as a member of the CoSIDA Academic All-District Men's Soccer Team, which included only 11 student-athletes.
Although the graduation of 11 seniors is significant, the Redlands men's soccer team refuses to be counted out for future success. With Head Coach Ralph Perez at the helm, expectations remain high, as the team welcomes the challenges and excitement in store for the next generation of Bulldogs, who offer amazing talent and undeniable hunger.