Glendale, Ariz.- In a win or stay home match, the Firestorm proved to be up to the task, downing The Master's 2-1 to snag the final spot in the GSAC Men's Soccer Tournament. Trailing 1-0 late in the game, Aiden Abbitt and Marlon Arce each scored a goal in the final 10 minutes to steal the victory. Carlos Gallardo was once again sure-handed, collecting seven saves in the regular-season finale. Six seniors (Constantinos Apostolos, Jimmy Thach, Micah Rickard, Tiago Soares, Carlos Gallardo, and Janne Hintze) were all honored at halftime as part of Senior Day.
Score: Arizona Christian 2, The Master's 1
Records: Arizona Christian 7-7-1 (2-4-1) | The Master's 7-5-3 (3-3-1)
Location: ACU Football Field - Glendale, AZ
STAT TRACKER
Marlon Arce - 1 goal, 4 shots
Aiden Abbitt - 1 goal, 4 shots
Santiago Ballesteros - 1 assist, 1 shot
Cornelis Miller - 4 shots, 1 on goal
Jake Underwood - 1 shot on goal
Carlos Gallardo - 7 saves
INSIDE THE BOXSCORE
Much of the opening 45 minutes was controlled by The Master's, as they did not concede a shot to ACU until the 42nd minute. The Mustangs kept the ball on the Firestorm's half of the field and managed three on-target strikes, two of which came off the foot of Giorgio Martino. Carlos Gallardo did not make the cleanest of saves up against his standard, but was able to clear all three shots away from goal.
While the Firestorm were unsuccessful with their first two corner kicks, the third, taken by Aiden Abbitt, gave the Mustangs their greatest scare. In the 43rd minute, Nate Macaluso received Abbitt's serve and just missed a shot wide right. Less than a minute passed before ACU repossessed the ball and Santiago Ballesteros established great position inside the box, nearly breaking the tie after his shot nailed the right goal post.Â
The second period began like a completely different narrative. ACU outshot The Master's 6-1 in the opening 15 minutes, including one on-target shot from Jake Underwood. Though none of these efforts yielded a goal, the pressure was now squarely on the Mustangs. Cornelis Miller put his name in the conversation with a shot on goal in the 66th minute, but TMU's Kian Bensend picked up his second save.
The Mustangs were quick to control the next possession and Caden Zierenberg found daylight with a shot and sent it toward the goal. Gallardo repelled the strike, but could not corral it. Matt Picht pounced on the golden opportunity, and broke the 0-0 tie in the 69th minute.
After Gallardo survived two additional on-target attempts, Marlon Arce was gifted a penalty kick following a foul inside the box. However, Bensend made a great deflection as he dove left, sending Arce's shot harmlessly to the side.Â
The Firestorm were not fazed; Aiden Abbitt drove the ball inside from the left and, though his shot was saved, it was left in a vulnerable position. A Mustang defender, trying to clear the shot away, knocked the ball into the goal. Abbitt was credited with the goal and the match was suddenly a 1-1 tie.
ACU did not cede a single shot from The Master's in the final 11 minutes. With 29 seconds remaining, Santiago Ballesteros launched a ball over the top of Mustang defenders, and pinpointed Arce in an onside position. Arce beat one defender and delivered the most important goal of the season for the Firestorm. Next stop is the GSAC Men's Soccer Tournament.
THOUGHTS FROM COACH TED KRZYWIEKCI
"I am so proud of our guys for their resolve and ability to work through adversity today," Coach Krzywiecki said. "They had to overcome so much to find a way to get a game winning goal in the final minute of the game. Again our guys proved that they can accomplish so much when they stick together, work hard for one another, and they leave all of their effort on the field. I am so happy for our seniors to be able to play a final match on their home field that they will remember for a long time."
NEXT MATCH
The Firestorm did the necessary work to punch their ticket to a quarterfinal in the GSAC Men's Soccer Tournament on November 4th. ACU will travel to Irvine, California for a 1:00 PM match against the Hope International Royals. For access to championship coverage, such as live video, bracket details, and schedule, head to https://gsacsports.org/tournaments/?id=11363.
Roll Storm!
