REDLANDS, Calif. – The University of Redlands men's soccer team routed visiting University of La Verne 5-0 Thursday night. With the win the Bulldogs currently sit in fourth place at 4-4 inside Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) play and 5-5-3 overall.
In the opening quarter of an hour goalkeeper Seth Lawrence (Redlands, CA) made two saves to keep the game scoreless. The first shots and first shot on-goal for the Bulldogs came courtesy of Ethan Kovach (Las Vegas, NV) who forced a save in the 24th and had a second shot miss to the left in the 26th.
Lawrence made another big save in the 35th, less than two minutes before Quinn Richards (San Clemente, CA) scored in the 38th. Richards scored off a long ball played by center back Peyton Menti (Seattle, WA). Richards had his first shot hit the post before poking the ball past the keeper on the rebound.
In the final minute of the half Phillip Kostenko (Zelenokumsk, Russia) scored off a Richards assist for his second goal of the season. The Bulldogs would take a 2-0 lead into the break.
In the opening four minutes of the second half the Bulldogs made it 4-0 off a David Johnson (Monrovia, CA) header on the back post. Jamie Dulle (St. Louis, MO) chipped the ball over the defense from outside, the left-side of the 18-yard box, and Johnson was just inside the post waiting to redirect the ball home.
Dulle slotted the fourth Bulldog goal home in the 60th after Joseph Parra (West Covina, CA) took a shot that was saved and defected to Dulle who calmly passed the ball into the back of the net for his second of the season.
The fifth and final goal came from Cody Bell (Highland, CA) in the 72nd. Menti again played a long ball that found Bell. Bell cut in at the top of the box and instead of passing, he dribbled to the end line before scoring only a few yards from the end line as he beat the keeper at the near post, with the ball sneaking inside the far post.
Richards and Dulle each had a goal and assist. For the first time in his collegiate career, Menti had a multi-assist game, picking up two. Lawrence played just short of 79 minutes before being replaced, he made four saves while out their and got his fourth win.
The Bulldogs head to Whittier this Saturday, Oct. 22 with first kick at 7:00 p.m.