The Master's Defeats Benedictine Mesa to Win GSAC Men's Soccer Championship
| 1H | 2H | T | |
|---|---|---|---|
| BEN | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| THE | 3 | 2 | 5 |
SANTA CLARITA, Calif. – Adiel Kaduya scored twice and Trent Rickard recorded a goal and three assists as second-seeded The Master's defeated fifth-seeded Benedictine Mesa 5-1 on Monday to capture the 2026 GSAC Men's Soccer Tournament championship.
The Mustangs (13-4-3) delivered one of the most prolific offensive performances in tournament history, becoming just the third team to score five goals in a GSAC Men's Soccer Tournament match. Rickard's three assists also tied the tournament's single-game record, highlighting a dominant championship performance that saw four different Mustangs find the back of the net.
The Master's wasted little time establishing control, breaking through in the 17th minute when Kaduya finished a chance created by Rickard to give the Mustangs a 1-0 advantage. Jaime Dominguez nearly doubled the lead four minutes later, striking the post in the 21st minute.
Rickard extended the advantage in the 31st minute, converting a pass from Braden Krusey for his first goal of the afternoon. Michael Masimango added an unassisted goal in the 40th minute, sending The Master's into halftime with a commanding 3-0 lead. The Mustangs outshot the Redhawks 11-6 over the opening 45 minutes.
The offensive pressure continued after the break as Kaduya completed his brace in the 60th minute, finishing another opportunity set up by Rickard to push the advantage to 4-0. Dominguez added the Mustangs' fifth goal in the 71st minute, with Rickard collecting his third assist of the contest.
Benedictine Mesa (10-7-3) broke through in the 76th minute when substitute Josh Arnold converted a pass from Bryan Ncube, ending The Master's shutout bid and accounting for the final 5-1 margin.
The Mustangs controlled the offensive statistics, finishing with a 28-17 advantage in shots, a 14-6 edge in shots on goal and an 8-3 margin in corner kicks. The Master's generated 17 shots in the second half alone, while Benedictine Mesa increased its offensive output from six first-half attempts to 11 after the break.
Rickard led all players with 10 shots, placing four on target, while Kaduya finished with four attempts and three shots on goal. Masimango placed both of his attempts on target, and Dominguez added two shots, including his second-half goal.
In goal, Franco Barba played all 90 minutes for The Master's, recording five saves, including three in the second half. Benedictine Mesa goalkeeper Charlie Shepherd made nine saves over 86 minutes, 47 seconds before Rafael Machado handled the final 3:13.
Rickard's three assists matched the GSAC Men's Soccer Tournament single-game record established by Concordia Irvine's Christian Ramirez, who recorded three assists against Azusa Pacific in a 4-2 semifinal victory on Nov. 5, 2011. Rickard contributed directly to four of the Mustangs' five goals, finishing with five points in the championship match.
The five-goal outburst also placed The Master's alongside two previous record-setting performances in tournament history. Arizona Christian first reached the mark with a 5-0 victory over Jessup in the 2018 opening round, while Menlo matched the record with a 5-0 semifinal victory over The Master's in 2021. Monday's championship marked just the third time a team had scored five goals in a GSAC Men's Soccer Tournament contest.
The Master's will now turn its attention to the 2026 NAIA Men's Soccer National Championship. The national championship field and opening-round pairings will be announced during the NAIA Men's Soccer Selection Show on Friday, Nov. 13, at 4 p.m. PT / 5 p.m. MST, streamed live on the NAIA YouTube channel.
The first and second rounds are scheduled for Nov. 19 and 21 at campus sites across the country, with the final 16 teams advancing to Orange Beach, Alabama, for the national championship final site Nov. 30-Dec. 7.
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