SANTA CRUZ, Calif. –
Anthony Gambe scored in the 73rd minute to break a 1-1 tie, and the Jessup men's soccer team held on for a 2-1 win over UC Santa Cruz on Saturday. The Warriors (2-4-1) picked up their second win of the season and their first since Sept. 5.
UC Santa Cruz started the game on the front foot. The Banana Slugs won four corner kicks and took five shots in the opening nine minutes, and Gavin Lane's attempt in the eighth minute forced the first of four saves from Warriors goalkeeper
Eduardo Enriquez. Jessup weathered the early pressure and took control of the half.
Jordee Magana tested the UCSC keeper in the 16th minute, and two minutes later
Alessandro Velazquez put the Warriors ahead 1-0 in the 18th minute. Magana fired two more shots at goal before halftime, and the Warriors finished the half with an 8-6 shot advantage, even though UCSC held a 6-2 edge in corners. Enriquez made a second save on Alessandro Castro in the 37th minute to preserve the lead.
The second half was more back-and-forth. UCSC tied the game in the 53rd minute when Michael Braun, who led the Slugs with five shots, finished a chance created moments after a shot from Aidan Dellinger. Enriquez then made two more saves, as the Slugs outshot the Warriors 8-4 in the half. Braun for the Slugs hit the top of the crossbar in the 72nd minute, and Jessup went down the field and scored less than a minute later. Gambe finished the go-ahead goal in the 73rd minute, which turned out to be the winner. Jessup then defended its lead through the final 17 minutes, even as UCSC earned corners in the 77th and 81st minutes.
Magana was the most active Warriors attacker, putting four shots on goal, though UCSC's keepers stopped all four. Gambe led the team with three shots and played 87 minutes, and Velazquez added a goal on one shot in 81 minutes.
Blake Moore also put a shot on target in the second half. Enriquez played all 90 minutes in goal and finished with four saves, two in each half.
Maximas Ganesh,
Mathew Daniel and
Hamzah Gaphoor also played the full 90. Jessup finished with a 12-14 shot deficit but held a 7-5 edge in shots on goal. The Slugs held a 9-2 advantage in corner kicks. The game was physical early, with 12 first-half fouls called on Jessup and 10 on UCSC, but the whistle quieted after halftime, with just five combined fouls in the second half. No cards were issued, and the announced attendance was 80.
Jessup returns home Tuesday, Sept. 22, to host Dominican (CA) at 4:30 p.m. at Warrior Field, with the game streaming on PacWest Network. The Warriors then open conference play Oct. 3 at Westmont and visit Dominican on Oct. 31 in San Rafael.
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About Jessup University Athletics Jessup University is a member of the National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) Division II and the PacWest Conference. For additional information regarding Jessup Athletics, visit www.jessupathletics.com; visit www.jessup.edu for more information on Jessup University. Follow Jessup Athletics on social media: Jessup University Athletics (Facebook) and @JessupAthletics (Instagram & X).