MERCED, Calif. – The 20th-ranked and second-seeded University of California, Merced men's soccer team put together a monstrous offensive performance in its postseason opener, beating Soka 5-2 on Thursday night to advance to the California Pacific Conference Tournament Championship match which will be played on Bobcat Field on Saturday night. The Bobcats will be making its fifth consecutive appearance in the Cal Pac Championship game.
With the win, the Bobcats (11-0-3) extend their home unbeaten streak to 30 consecutive matches. It is also the Bobcats sixth consecutive home postseason win spanning across the 2020, 2021, and 2024 conference tournaments.
UC Merced's red hot-offense has scored at least five goals now in a program-record four straight outings. Also of note, the Bobcats five goals is their second most in 17 all-time conference tournament matches.
Cal Pac Player of the Year Daniel Borges recorded a brace, while Kevin Capetillo had four points with a first half goal and two assists. Jesus Enriquez and Carlos Miranda scored a goal apiece for the co-regular season champion Bobcats. UC Merced cruised to a 4-0 lead.
The Bobcats wasted no time getting on the board as Enriquez cleaned up a Jaycob Walker cross inside the goal area just 70 seconds into the night. The Lions keeper attempted to make a play on Walker's cross, but couldn't corral it cleanly leaving Enriquez to tap it in for his first career postseason goal. Overall, Thursday marked Enriquez's fourth straight match with a goal contribution dating back to October 18.
UC Merced made it 2-0 in the 23rd minute when a beautiful setup gave Borges an opportunity to finish from five yards out with ease. Omar Garcia sent a ball across the field to Capetillo, who then edged the endline and got into the box feeding a perfect ball to Borges. Capetillo, the Bobcats all-time assists leader with 40 career assists, now has six career postseason assists. Borges has scored in back-to-back tournaments for the Bobcats.
Capetillo and the Bobcats took further control of the match seven minutes later when Diego Fresquez intercepted a Lions pass just outside the 18-yard box and simultaneously played Capetillo. Capetillo took one touch near the stripe and blasted his shot into the back of the net to make it 3-0 in the 30th minute. The Oakland, Calif., native, who assisted so many postseason goals, scored a goal of his own for the first time ever in the playoffs.
Capetillo's goal also stood as the game-winning goal.
UC Merced led 3-0 at halftime.
Head coach Albert Martins' team added to the lead less than five minutes into the second half when Carlos Miranda lasered a shot from 12 yards away in his postseason debut. Capetillo, adding to his incredible postseason career, put a through ball down to Perkins and then Perkins sent a pass into the box as each Bobcat recorded an assist on the 50th minute goal.
Despite the four-goal margin, Soka fought their way back into the match with a goal each in a four-minute stretch from Hope Suka and Sam Dagg. The duo brought their squad within two goals at 4-2 in the 67th minute.
Freshman Christian Khanishian nearly got one of those goals back for the Bobcats in the 70th minute but Lions keeper Elm Pentinat made a diving save.
In the 76th minute, Soka found the back of the net again but what would have been their third goal was waved off with an offsides call. The officials conversed and the offsides call was confirmed.
Twenty seconds later upon restart of play, the Bobcats capped off the semifinal scoring. Goalkeeper Angel Joaquin restarted play after the offsides call and sent the ball into the center circle. It was then headed to Garcia on the left sideline and he pushed it up the field to Borges. The Cal Pac Player of the Year turned the corner on the on-ball defender and pulled the keeper off his line before scoring from 12 yards out.
UC Merced finished the night outshooting Soka 23-8, 10-5 on goal. Borges held match-high with four shots, while Andres Alonso and Enriquez took three shots each.
Joaquin made three saves for UC Merced in his first career playoff action.
Alonso and center back Edwin Casillas played all 90 minutes with Joaquin.
In the record books, Capetillo passed Brian Chongtoua for sixth in program history with 72 career points. Borges passed Marcus DeCouto for eighth in program history with 66 career points.
Borges' brace was his fourth of the year, second straight.
UC Merced improved to 8-4 all-time against Soka.
Up next, UC Merced will face La Sierra in the Cal Pac Tournament Championship match on Saturday, November 9. Kickoff is set for 6:00pm on Bobcat Field.
