Following last season's "return to greatness" campaign, the 2016 University of Redlands men's soccer team not only matched its recent success but exceeded it by defeating the No. 1 team in the country on its own turf en route to the NCAA Quarterfinals for the program's best finish since 2007. The Bulldogs also captured back-to-back "double championships" with its 14th regular-season conference title and fourth Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) Postseason Tournament crown. The Maroon and Gray's extraordinary season came to a close with an 18-6-1 overall record and a 12-4 mark in conference competition, before being recognized as a team, coaching staff, and individual standouts.
Redlands kicked off the season with a bang by dominating out-of-region opponent, Fontbonne University (MO), in a 4-0 victory on September 4. Sophomore forward Kayvon Parsa (West Hills, CA) showed that he had not lost the touch of his SCIAC Newcomer of the Year campaign from a year ago by netting the Maroon and Gray's first goal of the 2016 season.
Redlands continued to roll with a quick start to SCIAC play when it traveled to Caltech just three days later. Junior forward Chase Boone (Beaverton, OR) notched his first goal of the season off of a cross from junior defender Keoni Yates (Kailua-Kona, HI). Three other Bulldogs put one into the back of the net, before Boone bookended the day by drilling in the fifth and final goal of the game.
Boone went on to score a goal in the next three-consecutive games, as Redlands racked up quality wins against Pacific University (OR), Cal Lutheran University, and Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Colleges.
A true test arrived on September 16 when No. 7/8 Christopher Newport University (VA) came to town to face the Bulldogs. Yates helped put Redlands on the board only 10 minutes into the game when he lofted a nice throw-in that found the head of junior defender Ben Thompson (Spokane, WA) for the score. Although the game seemed to be leaning in favor of the Bulldogs, the CNU Captains rallied for two late goals to hand the Maroon and Gray its first loss of the season.
Revealing their stamina and endurance, the Bulldogs returned to the pitch less than 24 hours later and cruised to a 5-0 win over Whittier College in SCIAC action. Thanks in part to Parsa's hat trick, Redlands took advantage of opportunity and played most of its roster, which allowed junior midfielder Anthony Royer (La Cresencta, CA) and junior forward Kamal Bilal (Chicago, IL) to score their first goals of the season. Junior midfielder Will MacFarlane (Park City, UT) and freshman forward Ryan Sayler (Missoula, MT) made quality contributions with assists on these goals. In addition, junior goalkeeper Josh Haskill (Lakewood, CA) patrolled the net for most of the game, making three saves in his shutout performance.
Playing their fourth game in six days, Redlands struggled to establish an offensive rhythm against the persistent pressure of the Occidental College Tigers, leading to the squad's first conference hiccup in a 1-3 loss.
With no ease in sight, the team kept pushing against quality SCIAC foes and earned a pair of 1-0 wins over the University of La Verne and Chapman University. Sophomore defender Spencer Scott (Beaverton, OR) provided a secure backline throughout the season but contributed some much needed offense by recording his first-ever goal as a Bulldog in the game against the Leopards. In addition, junior goalkeeper John Melito (Keller, TX) made three saves in each game to stamp La Verne and Chapman with a shutout.
In early October, the Bulldogs continued to dominate the conference by winning their next five games, as highlighted by five-goal showings against Pomona-Pitzer Colleges and CMS. Against the Sagehens, freshman forward Antony Chonga (San Diego, CA) netted his first goal in his young Bulldog career off a nice lateral pass to the far edge of the box from sophomore midfielder Jesus Avalos (Indio, CA).
During this stretch, Redlands topped the Whittier Poets for the second time of the season, with senior midfielder Isaac Bogart (Lynden, WA) leading the team's 2-1 performance. After entering the game, he quickly fired off two shots and a corner kick to set the stage. He refused to lay off the offensive pressure and his efforts finally paid off, as he blasted a shot from well outside of the box off a nice pass from senior defender Austin Moore (Las Vegas, NV) for the Bulldogs' opening goal.
Following a 4-0 decisive win over Caltech, Redlands needed just one more victory to clinch the program's 14th conference title. Unfortunately, the Bulldogs hit a three-game skid with one-goal losses, forcing the conference championship to come down to Senior Night on Farquhar Field.
On October 29, the Bulldogs successfully avenged their earlier season loss to the Occidental Tigers with an impressive 4-0 showing that secured the program's 14th regular-season title. Among the highlights, senior forward Matt Speegle (Castro Valley, CA) scored his first goal of the season in the 82nd minute off of a great corner kick from sophomore defender Nick DeQuiroz (San Jose, CA). Prior to kick-off, the team recognized defender Jared Bales (Issaquah, WA), defender Colin Zaccagnio (Phoenix, AZ), Speegle, Bogart, and Moore, in what became their final game on Farquhar Field. With the positive outcome, the Bulldogs also earned the top seed as the host of the postseason tournament.
With a newfound offensive intensity, Redlands rattled off back-to-back 2-0 wins to punch its ticket to the NCAA Championships for the sixth time under Head Coach Ralph Perez's tenure at Redlands. While taking on CMS in the semifinals, junior midfielder Casey ChubbFertal (Eugene, OR) linked up with Boone to head in the game-winner in the 20th minute. Against Chapman, Moore orchestrated a nice scoring play with a quick ball to Boone, who slotted it through to ChubbFertal for the eventual game-winner. Defensively, Melito impressed in these shutouts by combining for 14 saves. He finished the season with an exceptional goals-against average of .056.
On November 7, the NCAA revealed that the Bulldogs were headed out of region to face Washington University of St. Louis at DePauw University in Greencastle, IN, in the first round of the NCAA Championships.
While managing unfamiliar and frigid weather, Redlands heated up at just the right time to battle back from a two-goal deficit against the WashU Bears. In the 75th minute, Bogart placed a beautiful corner kick that found the foot of ChubbFertal for Redlands' first goal. Less than three minutes later, the Bulldogs organized a nearly identical play, when Bogart lofted another corner to ChubbFertal for the equalizer. Following two scoreless overtime periods, Redlands advanced to the next round with a big-time, 4-3 showing in penalty kicks.
Redlands then faced host DePauw in the second round and was forced to overcome another deficit. Nonetheless, the Bulldogs stepped up, as Boone carried out the equalizer, and Thompson and Bogart linked up for the game-winner off of a set-piece.
The following week, the NCAA sent the Maroon and Gray to the University of Chicago to challenge the top-ranked team on its own turf in the Round of 16. On an extremely windy and bone-chilling day, the Bulldogs played without hesitation and shocked the nation with a 3-2 victory over the assumed-to-be-advancing team. Parsa started the game off with a bang by netting the team's first goal in the 10th minute off of a set piece from junior midfielder Sergio Valencia (San Jose, CA). After the Chicago Maroons added their own score late in the first half, Redlands responded in the 57th minute when Boone and Bogart hooked up inside the box. Soon after, junior forward Alexander Knox (Seattle, WA) took advantage of a Chicago turnover to convert the Bulldogs' third goal of the game. Although Chicago mustered another score, Redlands held off the home team's late push to move onto the NCAA Quarterfinals in fine fashion.
Playing on back-to-back days, the Maroon and Gray faced the University of St. Thomas (MN) Tommies in a hard-fought and heartbreaking outcome. Sophomore midfielder Arman Mogharei (Hayward, CA) played the game of his life, as he knocked in the first score of the game on a diving header off the foot of Boone only eight minutes into the action. In the second half, Knox gave the Bulldogs an even bigger lead by slotting a goal from a Mogharei pass inside of the box. Unfortunately, for the Maroon and Gray, the Tommies managed some late-game magic to pull off the comeback in overtime, sending Redlands home with a tough loss to swallow.
Despite the difficult finish, Redlands put together yet another historic season that also brought about a plethora of awards. ChubbFertal, Boone, Yates, and Thompson ended up on the All-SCIAC First Team, while Parsa snagged a spot on the Second Team. While collecting the most NSCAA All-West Region awards since 2011, the Bulldogs gained five honorees. ChubbFertal and Boone made the First Team for the second-consecutive year. In addition, Yates and Haskill landed on the Second Team, while Thompson grabbed a spot on the Third Team for each's inaugural All-West Region distinction.
Not only was the men's soccer team stellar on the field but in the classroom due to a holistic commitment to the student-athlete experience. ChubbFertal gained NSCAA Scholar All-America First Team honors, as Boone and Haskill rounded on the Redlands academic awards with spots on the Third Team. Boone and Thompson also received recognition from CoSIDA as members of the Academic All-District Men's Soccer Team for Division III.
Although these student-athletes have immense talent and desire, they would not have made it as far as they did without the guidance of Perez and Assistant Coaches Nico Johnson, Cody Carlson, and Claudio Rivas. This exceptional group of coaches received the well-deserved distinction of being named the NSCAA DIII West Region Coaching Staff of the Year.
With the standard continually rising, the Bulldog men's soccer team excitedly returns an incredible squad with endless capabilities for conference and national success. Although the loss of its senior class requires attention, Redlands anticipates the benefits of incredible momentum for another memorable campaign to come.