ROCKLIN, Calif. - The University of California, Merced men's soccer team earned their second shutout in as many games with a 2-0 win over William Jessup University Tuesday afternoon at Jessup Field.
The Bobcats (3-1-2) are unbeaten in five straight matches and are unbeaten in 17 of their last 18 regular-season games dating back to last season.
UC Merced managed to outshoot William Jessup 27-4, 11-0 on goal in the seventh all-time meeting.
Andres Lua scored Tuesday's game-winning goal in the 31st minute. Lua took a pass from Bryan Henriquez Rivera at the top of the 18-yard box and had to fight off a defender on his right before beating the keeper for his second goal of the season.
Henriquez Rivera's assist was his first of the year and he would add another one by the games closure.
The most recent California Pacific Conference Offensive Player of the Week added his second assist in the 83rd minute to Manuel Romero.
Henriquez Rivera won a foot race with the keeper and positioned to the right of the goal, the Wasco, Calif., native lifted a pass over the keepers head and on the receiving end of it was Romero. Romero struck it in to the back of the net to double the Bobcats lead and score his first goal since October 26, 2017.
The goal also marked Romero's first shot of the season.
In total, eleven Bobcats got a shot off on Tuesday. Lua led the Bobcats with six shots, two on goal. Henriquez Rivera added five shots, while Marcos Ceballos added four, two on frame.
Junior defender Ricky Rosas notched a shot in the 31st minute that went off the post.
The Bobcats also took eight corner kicks against William Jessup, six in the second half. Two of those six second half corner kicks came in a 90 second span at the 80 minute marker. Coronado took both kicks, while both Marcos and Ivan Ceballos took a shot as a result. Marcos' was blocked and Ivans was saved by Jordan Paton.
UC Merced sophomore goalkeeper Marco Sobrevilla wasn't tasked with any saves in his second straight shutout.
Up next, the Bobcats visit No. 23 Hope International University in Fullerton, Calif., on Saturday, September 21. First touch is scheduled for 1:00pm.
