Despite an early goal by The Master’s College, senior Kennedy Chongo led the men’s soccer team to a 4-2 win on Saturday. The victory evens out Biola’s conference record at 5-5, ending the regular season in fifth place. The Eagles start conference playoffs Wednesday, Nov. 3, against Fresno Pacific, who they beat 2-0 during the season.
Junior Marco Ruvalcaba also started strong, with a shot in the sixth minute. But it was blocked, and play continued. In the 21st minute, Master’s showed offensive pressure, taking several good shots. Junior keeper Aaron Fenlason kept one from going in. Another was blocked by the Eagle defense. But it was Master’s Andrew Totaro who scored the first goal of the game, netting the ball off a block rebound. Thirsty to score, Ruvalcaba took initiative and tied the game with a header shot that passed by the keeper. After Ruvalcaba’s goal, both teams only took one shot until Chongo gave Biola the lead.
Chongo delivers first three goals
Chongo scored one goal in each period. The first came at the end of the first half. The scores were even at 1-1. Biola was rushing forward, putting pressure on Master’s defense. Junior Zach Bautista chipped a short pass to Chongo, who was prepared at the front of the net. Chongo redirected the ball for a goal, giving Biola a 2-1 advantage going into halftime. In the 74th minute, Chongo delivered once again. The score was still 2-1 and Biola had gained possession because of a foul by Master’s. This time, freshman Carlos Ballesteros came through with a short pass. Chongo received it on the left side and fired it in before the keeper could transition. This gave Biola a more comfortable lead of 3-1.
Shortly into the second half, senior Jacob Ravenscraft almost tallied another Eagle point. But the ball hit the post and deflected away harmlessly.
Eagle defense strong
Facing some return attacks, Biola’s defense stepped up. In a fifteen-minute span, they blocked one shot and Fenlason raked in three saves, repressing The Master’s offense. This allowed the Eagle offense to take a few chances. In the 54th minute, Chongo whirled a header at The Master’s net but was stopped by the keeper. Freshman Dylan Wingrove continued his offensive prominence in the 60th minute, taking an attempt on the goal only to be shut down by the keeper. Then Chongo got his second goal and expanded the lead.
Making the best of a perfect opportunity, Master’s forward Andy Hegg scored on a penalty kick, sneaking it through defenders and past Fenlason to make it a 3-2 game. But it wasn’t enough to start a rally. Instead, Biola remained tough and held back any approaches by Master’s.
Anderson scores first goal to close out game
With 44 seconds to go, freshman Kenny Anderson found himself on a breakaway, took a shot, and scored for the first time in his collegiate career. This gave Biola a 4-2 lead and left The Master’s with no hope to push the game into extra time. The Eagle’s finished the season with a win to motivate them for the postseason.
