ROCKLIN, Calif. - Four different Bobcats scored and the University of California, Merced men's soccer team earned a 4-1 Labor Day road victory over William Jessup University on Monday afternoon.
The Bobcats (3-1-1) have now won three of their first five games for the fourth consecutive year.
Kevin Capetillo, Omar Garcia and Andres Lua all scored for UC Merced to get the Bobcats out to a 3-0 lead. Garcia's first career goal in the 25th minute stood as the game-winning goal. After Jessup got on the board, Luis Villegas added his first score of the season in the 84th minute to push the Bobcats lead back to three goals.
UC Merced outshot Jessup 25-10 over the 90 minutes and won the corner kick battle 8-2.
For the second straight match, the Bobcats scored a goal in the opening three minutes and on Monday it was Capetillo who got the Bobcats on the board first with his second goal in the last three games. UC Merced put together 15 consecutive passes, including the final pass from Andres Lua, in order to put Capetillo in a straightaway position to take the Bobcats first shot of the game and score from 20 yards out.
The Bobcats continued to threaten Jessup and got off seven more shots, earned three corner kicks and added to the lead over the next 20 minutes before the Warriors managed to record their first shot.
The Bobcats made it 2-0 on a counter attack started by Capetillo. Capetillo played the ball to the feet of Lua, who then took two dribbles before playing a perfect ball leading Garcia to the top of the 18-yard box. Garcia took a touch and then buried his shot into the lower left corner for his first career goal. Garcia's goal came on just his fifth career shot.
Lua earned the assist for the second multi-assist match of his career. The Le Grand, Calif., native moved into a tie with Marcus DeCouto for eighth on the program's all-time list with 18 career assists.
Head coach Albert Martins' team took the 2-0 lead into halftime and outshot Jessup 14-2 in the first 45 minutes. Goalkeeper Marco Sobrevilla was not tasked with a save.
Also of note, there were only five first half fouls.
The Bobcats kept the pressure on in the second half and immediately earned a corner kick and soon after saw a Capetillo shot hit the post.
The Bobcats extended their lead to 3-0 in the 56th minute. After a long run down the sideline and into the box with the ball, Jesus Enriquez shook off a defender before setting up Lua for a successful one-timer.
Lua's goal puts him at six on the year and they have all come in the last three games. Enriquez's assist was his first of the season.
Jessup followed with a goal of their own 90 seconds later.
Both offenses combined for multiple shots down the stretch as temperatures began to reach 100 degrees, but it was much hotter on the Jessup turf.
Villegas capped off the scoring in the 84th minute with his first goal of the season. Garcia, who scored his first career goal earlier in the day, was credited with his first career assist.
Lua would end up holding match-high with seven shots. Capetillo recorded five shots, while Garcia and Jesus Ponce got off two each.
Brycen Miller played the second half in goal for the Bobcats.
Looking ahead, the Bobcats begin California Pacific Conference play at home against La Sierra University on Sunday, September 11. First touch on Bobcat Field is scheduled for 1:30pm.
