The path was simple.
Win the final two games of the season and The Master's win the men's soccer regular season conference championship.
But the Royals flushed the Mustangs chances.
Three first half goals and a short-handed score in the final five minutes of the game proved to be the difference as The Master's lost to Hope International 4-2 Thursday on Reese Field.
The Mustangs (7-8-2, 7-4-2) out-shot the Royals 21-11, with 10 of those 21 shots on goal. But only two
Trent Rickard rockets found the back of the net for TMU.
"I'm really proud of them and how competitive [TMU players] were, working hard, the fight, out shooting them significantly," said TMU Head Coach Jim Rickard. "Super disappointed in four goals, super disappointed. I'm really upset about it. You can't be a good team and do that."
The Master's was able to jump out to a quick start when Rickard headed a cross from
Prince Chingancheke right to the back of the net in the first 2:05 of the game to get the party atmosphere started.
Fifteen minutes later the party fell silent when HIU's Sebastian Ramirez was able to even it at 1-1. That was followed in the 37th minute by the Royals' Diego Alvarado finding the net, and three minutes later his teammate Christian Hernandez followed suit, giving Hope International a 3-1 lead at the half.
The Mustangs mounted the pressure in the second half, out shooting the Royals 9-3 for the half, but despite the intensity TMU could not get the ball into the net.
A turning point came with 20 minutes to play when Hope's Braulio Morales picked up his second yellow card of the game, which meant an automatic red card and ejection. For those final 20 minutes, The Master's was playing with a one-man advantage, and turned up the pressure.
But with less than five minutes to play, the Royals' Vincent Lopez stole a pass, drove half the field down the left side past the Mustangs defense and was able to slip his shot past goalkeeper
Julian Graham for Hope's fourth goal.
"Scoring early was a dream, but giving up those goals was a nightmare," Rickard said. "And then being down 3-2, going a man up, feeling good about whatever... But then that late goal was just a dagger."
The scenario is this: The Master's has to win their final game of the season this Saturday against Life Pacific. If they get that win, and Hope International beats or ties Embry-Riddle in a game to be played at Hope, then The Master's will finish in second place in the GSAC and will host a conference tournament semifinal on Saturday, Nov. 9.
Saturday will also be Senior Day as the Mustangs will say farewell to four players during halftime of their game. Kickoff is scheduled for 1:30 p.m.
