Benitez’s Goal in Overtime Lifts Masters
Erik Benitez scored two minutes into overtime on a pass from Mark Ruhlman to lift The Master’s men’s soccer team to a 3-2 victory over U.S. International on Saturday in San Diego.
The goal was Benitez’s third of the season and allowed the Mustangs (8-7) to prevail after squandering a 2-0 lead in the second half.
Paul Dojo gave Master’s a 1-0 lead with his sixth goal in the 40th minute and Ruhlman made it 2-0 nine minutes into the second half with his fourth goal.
In other men’s soccer matches:
Cal Lutheran 6, La Verne 0--Jose Melgoza, Charlie Noble and Jeff Smilen each scored his first goal for the Kingsmen (11-2-1, 5-0) in a Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference match at Cal Lutheran.
Ryan Girod scored his 10th goal and Brian Collins scored his ninth. Edwin Astudillo also scored.
Goalkeeper Guillermo Alvarado turned away La Verne’s only two shots while playing the first 54 minutes for the Kingsmen before yielding to Matt Mahler. The Leopards allowed 21 shots on goal.
WOMEN’S SOCCER
Cal Lutheran 3, La Verne 0--Holly Roepke, Jennifer Agostino and Christine Perry scored first-half goals and the Regals (12-3, 9-0) cruised past the Leopards (10-3, 7-2) in a SCIAC match at La Verne.
BOYS’ CROSS-COUNTRY
Santa Clarita Invitational--Justin Patananan of Highland won the large schools race with a time of 15:57 over the three-mile course at College of the Canyons.
It was the second victory in four days for Patananan, who placed first in the second Golden League meet of the season Wednesday.
San Luis Obispo Invitational--Notre Dame, led by Kevin Lelles’ second-place finish, upset Morro Bay, 39-48, in the Division IV race at Cuesta College.
Lelles clocked 16:55 over the 5,000-meter course, three seconds behind winner Jeff Tomlinson of Crossroads.
GIRLS’ CROSS-COUNTRY
Santa Clarita Invitational--Lauren Fleshman and Erin White of Canyon finished first and second to pace the Cowboys to a 52-59 victory over Birmingham in the large schools race at Canyons.
Fleshman, sixth in last year’s state Division II championships, clocked 18:36 over the three-mile course.
