Irvine, CA – Saturday afternoon the Hope International University men's soccer team (12-3-3, 9-2-3 GSAC) seized a 2-0 victory on senior night over the Embry- Riddle (AZ) Eagles to secure their third GSAC Regular Season Championship.
The Royals came out strong in the first half, creating multiple scoring opportunities. Just 31 seconds into the game,
Uriel Sanchez tested the Eagles' goalkeeper, but his attempt was met with a save. In the 10
th minute,
Matthias Alcaraz delivered a corner kick, but the Royals were unable to capitalize. The Eagles responded with physicality, and aggressive efforts to score. Hope continued to fight for an opening however, they were not able to find the back of the net ending the first half in a tie at 0-0.
In a thrilling second half, the Royals broke through against the Eagles defense, securing a hard-fought 2-0 victory. The Royals earned an early header attempt from Erik Cabrera that was saved by the Eagles goalie. With sustained offensive effort, the Royals scored in the 77
th minute when
Gonzalo Diaz found the net on a header, assisted by
Uriel Sanchez. This gave the Royals a 1-0 lead and the momentum to keep pushing forward. The Eagles attempted to respond but could not get past the Royal's goalkeeper
Berlin Torres who saved a crucial shot in the 72
rd minute. The Royals doubled their lead in the closing moments. In the 89
th minute,
Sebastian Ramirez scored with another assist from
Uriel Sanchez to finish the game, bringing the score to 2-0. Torres's solid performance and four saves helped the Royals secure their 2-0 victory and status as the 2024 GSAC regular season Champions.
The Royals begin GSAC tournament play on Saturday, November 9 as they host fourth seeded Arizona Christian at 7:00 PM at the OC Great Park Championship Soccer Stadium in Irvine, CA.
