REDDING, Calif. – The University of California, Merced men's soccer team earned a crucial 3-1 win over Simpson University in the regular season finale on Saturday afternoon to earn a first round bye in the upcoming California Pacific Conference Championships.
The Bobcats (11-2-3, 8-2-1) finish the regular season with three straight multi-goal wins and are winners of six of their last seven.
UC Merced scored three unanswered goals to win on Saturday, including two in the final 25 minutes.
Joshua Golka tallied the game-winning goal, while Xavier Barajas was key on both ends and contributed two assists on the attack. Thomas Knierieme and Diego Fresquez also scored a goal for the Bobcats.
Simpson led 1-0 with a goal on a free kick in the 17th minute before a Knierieme equalizer 20 minutes later.
Knierieme scored upper 90 from 25 yards out off an assist from Xavier Barajas. Barajas, who was in the center circle, played it further up the field to Knierieme who took a touch to create a clean shot and buried it for his first road goal of the year.
Neither team recorded a shot in the eight minutes leading to intermission resulting in a 1-1 tie at halftime.
UC Merced turned defense into offense for the game-winning goal in the 68th minute. Roberto Ceja and Golka doubled the Red Hawks outside back and recovered possession. The Bobcats then moved the ball from left to right and Barajas worked his way into the corner of the box before sending in a cross to Golka at the penalty stripe. Golka one-timed his shot into the upper portion of the net to give the Bobcats a 2-1 lead and score his first game-winner of the campaign.
Barajas' two assists game also marked his first of the season.
Head coach Albert Martins' team extended their lead to 3-1 in the 75th minute when Ceja found an open Fresquez in the center of the field 25 yards away from goal. Fresquez took a step, fired, and beat the diving goalkeeper near the left post.
The goal marked the first Cal Pac goal of the year for Fresquez and the first assist for Ceja.
UC Merced outshot Simpson 20-7 on the day and 13-4 on target. The Bobcats also dominated the corner kick battle, earning nine compared to the Red Hawks three.
Kevin Capetillo led all players with six shots, four on frame.
Brycen Miller recorded three saves in his 90 minutes between the posts.
Looking ahead, the Bobcats will head to Riverside, Calif., for the California Pacific Conference Championships November 9-11 hosted by La Sierra University. The Bobcats are the #2 seed and will play either #3 Embry-Riddle or #6 Simpson on Thursday, Nov. 9 in the semifinals.
