Kicking Off The Season
The Providence Christian men's soccer team kicked off their season last week. The Sea Beggars opened on the road vs. fellow Cal Pac conference member Westcliff University at The Great Park in Irvine and followed it up on Saturday hosting Arizona Christian College at Kare Youth League.
In Wednesday's contest, Westcliff came out firing early and often, keeping the back line and starting goalkeeper, Richie Cortes (JR/Cathedral City, CA), on their toes. Providence found themselves dealing with several injuries and the Warriors capitalized, opening a 5-0 lead by halftime and never looked back, finishing with an 8-0 win. The Sea Beggars regrouped and came out looking like a new team on Saturday as they faced Arizona Christian. Providence packed it in defensively, forcing ACU on their heels by moving the ball with purpose, and communicating effectively as a team. The strong play by the Sea Beggars allowed them to put one in the back of the net off a set piece by Andrew Macias (SR/Cathedral City, CA) to Victor Vinales (SR/Palm Springs, CA) and end the first half with a 1-0 lead. Just before the completion of the first half, freshman defender Rigoberto Castillo (FR/Cathedral City, CA) was issued his second yellow card, resulting in a red card. This forced the Sea Beggars to play with ten men on the field for the remainder of the game, and that compiled with the short bench due to injuries, took the wind out their sails and eventually dropped the game 5-1.
When asked about the season and his goals, senior Keano Mestre (SR/Murrieta, CA) said, "Being my last year this season means a lot to me, I look forward to competing with the guys one last time and I hope I can leave a legacy that continues to live on". Fellow senior Andrew Macias added, "I look forward to the multiple learning points I will have on and off the pitch. As a collective, I hope to help those around me open their minds to new ways of learning the game! I hope to be a piece of their journey here at Providence that makes it easier for them to love the opportunity most people in life don't get to have, a piece that I had to constantly work at to find! I look forward to getting on that pitch and going to battle with my brothers who accept me as I am. I look forward to the ups and downs, the arguments during practice, the tears to come, and most of all, the pureness and tranquility this game brings me!"
The Sea Beggars are giving it everything they have, looking to grow through the season, and investing in the lives of their fellow teammates and classmates. Make sure to get out to a game this year and cheer them on. They are back on the road tonight vs. Soka University at 8pm.