RIVERSIDE, Calif. – Roberto Ceja scored with three seconds left and the University of California, Merced men's soccer team turned in a terrific defensive performance in a 1-0 shutout over Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University on Thursday night in the California Pacific Conference Championship Semifinals.
With the win, the Bobcats (12-2-3) secured their seventh straight berth to the NAIA National Championships and their fourth straight berth to the Cal Pac Tournament Championship game. The Bobcats have won two of the last three tournament titles.
Ceja's game-winning goal was the latest non-overtime game-winning goal in program history.
With ten seconds left, Michael De Cruz served a ball into the goal area where Ceja and Brian Lua were in position to tap it in. Embry-Riddle goalkeeper Elias Ammon made the first save, but not a clean save and the ball was loose right in front of the goal line where Ceja slid and put the ball across.
The referees didn't score the goal at first, but after a discussion, confirmed the goal was good and the Bobcats led 3-0 with three seconds to play. The Eagles restarted play, sent a prayer from the center line that was well off target as the buzzer went off.
Ceja's goal gave the Bobcats a postseason win in seven consecutive seasons.
Defensively, the Bobcats limited Embry-Riddle to just three shots, zero shots on goal, and two corner kicks. Defenders Xavier Barajas, Michael De La Cruz, Oliver Zamora, and Andres Alonso played all 90 minutes in front of goalkeeper Brycen Miller. Miller didn't have to make a save.
The Bobcats recorded 23 shots overall, nine on frame. Thomas Knierieme and Ceja took six shots and five shots, respectively. Ceja put four on target.
Ceja had the Bobcats best opportunity in the first half from about ten yards out but an Eagle stepped in front of the shot. The Bobcats had many opportunities similar in the second half, but the Eagles didn't break until the final seconds.
With the victory, UC Merced beat Embry-Riddle in the regular season and in the postseason for the first time since 2016. The two teams have met seven times in the tournament since 2015 and the Bobcats have a 5-2 record in such matches.
UC Merced will be looking for their third California Pacific Conference Tournament Championship in the last four years on Saturday, November 11 when they face top-seeded and 13th-ranked Westcliff University. Kickoff from La Sierra University in Riverside, Calif., is scheduled for 6:00pm.
