TMU Men's Soccer clinches postseason berth

Theo Kudlo's free-kick goal proved to be the difference as TMU Men's Soccer clinched a berth in the Golden State Athletic Conference Tournament after defeating William Jessup, 1-0, in Rocklin on Thursday afternoon.
 
"Again this team gives every ounce of themselves to the game and to each other," Master's Head Coach Jim Rickard said. "I'm so proud of everyone working tirelessly for 90 minutes."
 
Kudlo scored directly from a free kick with the first-half winding down to put the Mustangs in the lead.
 
Master's was unable to add to its advantage, having a late penalty kick saved, but Kudlo's goal was all TMU needed to ensure it will be playing in the postseason come November.
 
"The second half we just couldn't make the final pass in the box to separate from Jessup," Rickard said.
 
Rickard credited goalkeeper Kian Bensend, who made five saves, for anchoring the Mustang defense's fourth shutout of the season.
 
"Kian had a fantastic game, along with the defense," Rickard said. "He showed a lot of composure and maturity on through balls, crosses and shots on goal."
 
Master's outshot William Jessup 14-12 overall, 7-6 in each half, and 12-5 in shots on goal.
 
TMU (7-7-1 overall, 4-3 GSAC) concludes its regular season against Menlo, currently in second place in the GSAC, on Saturday at 1:30 p.m.
 
"Now we'll try to recover and give Menlo a solid performance," Rickard said.
 
Master's, currently in fourth place in the conference, can finish anywhere from second to fifth after the final day of GSAC play. The Mustangs would earn the second seed in the GSAC Tournament, and a first-round bye, if TMU defeats Menlo and (RV) Arizona Christian University loses or ties to No. 23 OUAZ on Saturday.
 
Even if unable to secure a first-round bye, Master's would still hope to finish third or fourth to host a GSAC Tournament First Round match.
 
The Mustangs would finish third with a win and ACU victory over OUAZ, while TMU would finish fourth with a tie, regardless of other results. Master's would drop to the fifth seed and be forced to travel for the first round of the conference tournament if the Mustangs lose to Menlo and OUAZ defeats ACU.