RIVERSIDE, Calif. - The second-seeded University of California, Merced men's soccer team beat third-seeded Westcliff University 3-2 on Thursday afternoon to advance to their third consecutive California Pacific Conference Championship game.

The Bobcats (12-1-5), winners of the last two tournament championships, will play #1 seed Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University on Saturday night at 8:00pm in Riverside. 

UC Merced's win in Thursday's semifinal match marked the Bobcats sixth consecutive Cal Pac Tournament win dating back to the 2020 season. Currently, the Bobcats win extended their overall program-record unbeaten streak to 17 matches in 2022. 

Andres Lua scored two first half goals for the Bobcats, while Michael De La Cruz scored the eventual game-winning goal in the 65th minute to beat the Warriors for the second time this season. De La Cruz's goal came less than a minute after Westcliff netted an equalizer.

Lua's multi-goal game made history across multiple levels. He broke the program's single-season goals record previously shared by Cody Golbad and Artemio Contreras with his 17th and 18th goals of the year. Lua also passed Golbad and Juan Flores for second on the program's all-time points list with 124 career points. Lua's 124 career points now ranks top five in Cal Pac history. Finally, Lua tied Golbad and Flores for the most conference tournament goals in program history with four career tournament goals. 

Lua, a 2022 All-Cal Pac First Team selection, struck first directly off a rebound from a Kevin Capetillo shot in the ninth minute. The score marked the second time the duo teamed up for a goal in the tournament in the last two years. Capetillo's assist was his team-leading eighth of the year.

Lua doubled the Bobcats lead in the 35th minute, settling a Diego Fresquez lofted pass and then beating his defender to the corner of the goal box before getting off a ground ball shot that beat the diving keeper far post. Agustin Guerrero and De La Cruz also helped set up the goal, connecting passes up ahead to Fresquez from beyond the center line.

Just prior to the Bobcats 2-0 lead, goalkeeper Marco Sobrevilla helped preserve the first half shutout with a strong save on a line drive shot taken from just eight yards out by All-Cal Pac Second Team selection Felix Kogler. Sobrevilla's back four was solid throughout the entire first half, marking up and getting the first touch on multiple Westcliff crosses and free kicks.

UC Merced held its 2-0 lead at halftime. 

Andres Alonso made a fine defensive play early in the second half and the Bobcats stood strong on an early corner kick, but Westcliff would eventually find the back of the net twice in a five-minute stretch. The opponent's first goal came in the 59th minute, with an equalizer shortly after in the 64th.

De La Cruz had an immediate answer 36 seconds later off an assist from Ernesto Velazquez for the eventual game-winning goal. De La Cruz's goal was his first of the year.

Sobrevilla then stopped two Westcliff attempts at another equalizer, and watched two more Westcliff shots sail high to hold the game at 3-2 and secure the win between the posts. The Cal Pac Honorable Mention finished with five saves overall. 

On the day, Westcliff outshot UC Merced 16-14 but both squads had seven shots on goal. Both teams also took five corner kicks.

Lua shared match-high with two shots on goal. Five other Bobcats put a shot on target, including Marcos Ceballos who tallied a team-high three shots overall.

Seventeen Bobcats in total saw the pitch Thursday afternoon. Cal Pac Defensive Player of the Year Anthoni Martin logged all 90 minutes along with Sobrevilla, De La Cruz, Guerrero, and All-Cal Pac First Team selection Xavier Barajas.

Looking ahead, UC Merced will remain in Riverside for Saturday night's Cal Pac Championship match against Embry-Riddle. First touch from La Sierra University is scheduled for 8:00pm. 

UC Merced has also earned an automatic berth to the NAIA National Championship Opening Round for the sixth consecutive year.