REDLANDS, Calif. – Senior Midfielder Nolan Mendonca (San Diego, CA) lifted the University of Redlands Women's Soccer team to a 3-2 victory over Chapman University inside Farquhar Field Tuesday night.
The Maroon and Grey got their revenge against the Panthers who they lost to 3-0 last week on the road. This time around the Bulldogs proved a tougher test as they improve to 6-6, 5-4 SCIAC. They pick up a crucial three points within the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) Standings, moving up into a tie with Claremont-M-S for 4th place within the SCIAC Standings.
U of R has now won back-to-back games and four of their last five. They have Cal Lutheran, Claremont-M-S, and Caltech left on the schedule.
Redlands came out hot in the first minute getting the go ahead goal from Eva Vlassopoulos (Portland, OR) :36 seconds in finishing a short cross from Tori Zielinski (Sunnyvale, CA). But this lead was short-lived, as Chapman would come down a minute and a half later drawing a foul in the penalty box, which handed them a PK opportunity. Riley Pidgeon then stepped forward for CU and drained the shot bottom left corner that deadlocked the game.
This didn't deter UR though as they continued with their offensive pressure as Peyton Fendrich (Clackamas, OR), Zielinski, and Vlassopoulos would each get off shots. In the 18th minute the Maroon and Grey would go back on top this time with Sami Salinas (Foothill Ranch, CA) and Fendrich going with a pair of touches before getting it to Malia Kuhl (Sammamish, WA) on top of the box who one-timed a shot past Chapman keeper Kelsey Bland just inside the crossbar.
Going into the half the Bulldog defensive unit stood tough holding that lead and limiting CU to just three shots over the final 25:00 minutes. In the second period Chapman came out pressing getting off six shots in the first twenty minutes. In the 63rd Pidgeon somehow was able to get behind the back line on a free kick and got off a shot in the box, which was turned away by Courtney Stewart (San Jose, CA). But the rebound would go right back to her as she would tap it in for the game-tying goal.
Over the next seven minutes Chapman got off another four looks, which were all stopped by Stewart. Then coming down in the 87th minute the Bulldogs got the game winner off the foot of Mendonca who finished a cross in the box from Charlie Baum (Hesperia, CA) who was coming off a hustle play after receiving a long ball from Salinas.
Stewart finished with eight saves playing all 90:00 minutes between the posts. Redlands on the night was outshot 17-12 and was at a disadvantage on corners 4-3. Vlassopoulos led the offense with five shots, three of which were on goal. Fendrich added three with two on goal and an assist and Zielinski added two shots and an assist.
Redlands remains at home this Saturday, October 23 during Homecoming as they host Cal Lutheran University beginning at 11:00am. This will be the Bulldogs' Senior Day!
