MERCED, Calif. – The University of California, Merced men's soccer team dominated University of Saint Katherine 5-0 on Thursday night and clinched a spot in November's California Pacific Conference Tournament Championships with the win.
The Bobcats (9-2-3, 6-2-1) conference tournament berth is their tenth in a row and with two games left UC Merced remains in control of their own destiny for a first round bye.
Thursday night marked the Bobcats fifth straight home game scoring at least five goals and head coach Albert Martins' team has scored at least three in all six home games this year, going 6-0. Dating back to 2021, the Bobcats are unbeaten in 22 straight matches at Bobcat Field.
Five different Bobcats accounted for the five goals and six different players recorded an assist.
Thomas Knierieme led all Bobcats with three points, with a goal and an assist. Jesus Enriquez had two assists.
Xavier Barajas was responsible for the game-winning goal in the 37th minute. Knierieme and Enriquez assisted the score before Knierieme scored a on a free kick shortly after.
Roberto Ceja, Daniel Borges, and Juan Montelongo each scored a goal in the second half.
Brycen Miller recorded his third solo shutout of the season. With his performance, he moved into third place on the program's all-time shutouts list with five in his career. Miller stopped the only shot he was tasked with.
The Bobcats dominated from start to finish, outshooting Saint Katherine 25-3, 11-1 on goal. The Bobcats also won the corner kick battle 6-1.
UC Merced took six shots in the first 20 minutes and although not scoring, set the tone for the rest of the game. In that same stretch, the Bobcats held Saint Katherine without a shot and without a touch inside their attacking third.
Barajas got the Bobcats on the board first in the 37th minute, one-timing a ground ball shot from the top of the box. Knierieme sent the ball in far side to Enriquez, who then played the unmarked Barajas. Barajas's goal was his third of the year and he has scored a point in four of the last five games.
Knierieme doubled the Bobcats lead in the 43rd minute from just outside the box and ten yards off center. He rocketed a free kick groundball shot to the far corner for the score, marking his sixth straight home outing with a goal.
UC Merced extended their lead to 3-0 with a series of passes in the 63rd minute, ultimately finding Ceja at the penalty spot for his third goal of the year. Michael De La Cruz and Jesus Enriquez were credited with an assist. De La Cruz played a through ball to Enriquez down the right side, who then connected with Ceja on a cross. Enriquez upped his assists total to five on the year.
Daniel Borges made it 4-0 in the 83rd minute and like Ceja also scored from the penalty spot off an assist. Borges' goal was his team leading ninth of the year, eight of which coming on Bobcat Field. Brian Lua played Borges the ball.
For the second time this year the Bobcats scored inside of ten seconds, this time around coming off the left foot of Juan Montelongo. Saul Gonzalez intercepted a Saint Katherine pass just ahead of the center line and the Bobcats kept moving the ball left, going to Diego Fresquez then to Montelongo for the goal from the corner of the box. Montelongo buried his shot far corner for his second goal in the last three games.
Fresquez and Gonzalez now have five assists and four assists, respectively.
Up next, UC Merced will host University of Antelope Valley for Senior Day on Sunday, October 22 at 3:30pm. A Senior Day ceremony will be held prior to first touch on Bobcat Field in Merced, Calif.
