The University of Redlands men's soccer program booked a trip to the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) Postseason Tournament final after defeating the fourth-seeded Occidental College Tigers, 2-0, on Thursday night. With the victory, the Bulldogs play host to the second-seeded Pomona-Pitzer Colleges Sagehens, who defeated the third-seeded Chapman University Panthers, 2-1, on Thursday in the other semifinal.
The Bulldogs and the Sagehens square off at 12 noon on Saturday, November 8, at Farquhar Field to determine the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Championships.
Redlands holds the edge on the Sagehens in the season series, having defeated them twice.
The Bulldogs remain in the hunt for the tournament title after knocking off the Tigers in a game that featured a surplus of offensive opportunities. The Bulldogs fired off 13 shots in the contest, with five coming in the first half and eight coming in the second.
Freshman midfielder Casey ChubbFertal (Eugene, OR) netted the first goal of the competition when he gathered a battered ball just outside the goalkeeper's box and fired a missile from 20 yards out into the back of the net for the score.
Senior forward Charles Izydorek (Redlands, CA) blasted an insurance goal late in the second half, after freshman goalkeeper Josh Haskill (Lakewood, CA) and junior midfielder Peter Marsden (Woodside, CA) teamed up on a dual-assist that stretched from end line to end line.
Haskill was lights out between the pipes, recording the win with 10 saves on the night. His success was aided by a strong defensive trio consisting of senior Nico Johnson (Las Vegas, NV), sophomore Tom Elsea (Mission Viejo, CA), and sophomore Austin Moore (Las Vegas, NV).
The Sagehens defeated the Panthers for the second time this year, with Thursday's decision coming by a score of 2-1.
Sophomore forward Voja Maric (San Diego, CA) scored both of his team's goals, first by joining forces with sophomore midfielder Matthew Marvin (Studio City, CA) to grab the first-half lead. Maric netted an insurance goal to expand the Sagehens' lead in the 53rd minute.
Chapman pulled one back in the 82nd minute but was unable to find the equalizer before time expired.
Senior goalkeeper Nigel Brady (Sacramento, CA) played solid for Pomona-Pitzer by taking home the win with four saves.
Saturday's final between Redlands and Pomona-Pitzer repeats the teams' 2008 showing together at the tournament championship, which resulted in the Bulldogs' 2-1 overtime win. Overall, the Sagehens make their fifth tournament appearance at the event and advance to the final for just the second time. The Bulldogs enter the final for the fifth time in their seven tournament showings.
Students and employees with current ID from a SCIAC school as well as children 12 and under will be granted free admission. All others will be charged $5 at the gate.
Fans unable to attend the Redlands-Pomona-Pitzer game may follow along via live stats and live streaming at http://portal.stretchinternet.com/redlands/. Due to SCIAC policy, fans will be charged a one-time fee of $5 to watch the stream.
