Perseverance Producing Character

The Providence Christian College men's soccer team has faced countless obstacles the past three seasons, but one thing has remained true: the team has continued to show perseverance and compete. No matter what opponent has lined up across from them, the players have competed from whistle to whistle. The Sea Beggars were coming off a tough road trip the previous week, but the team returned to the field focused and ready to secure a win. In a home match between the Providence Sea Beggars and the Cal Maritime Keelhaulers on October 10, 2024, the Beggars emerged victorious with a final score of 3-1, securing the team's first win in three seasons.

After back and forth action by both teams, the Keelhaulers took the lead in the first half off a penalty kick goal at the 38:12 mark. However, less than a minute later, the Sea Beggars responded with a goal from Erick Martinez, assisted by Jackson Maples, to level the score at 1-1 going into halftime. 

During halftime, coaches Rob Gurule and Edgar Manvelyan made the necessary adjustments and motivated the team to stay focused, reenergizing them going into the second half. The Sea Beggars remained aggressive and took the lead, with Diego Aparicio serving a corner kick to a waiting Graeme Vander Meulen and finding the back of the net off a header at the 57:48 mark. With exuberance filling the air, the Sea Beggars extended their lead at the 87:23 mark, putting an exclamation point on the win and offering a bit of breathing room for the final two minutes of play. Despite their efforts, Cal Maritime was unable to mount a successful comeback, and the match ended with a 3-1 Providence victory. Mario Trujillo made nine saves throughout the game, and with the help from the back line of Angelo Funes, Elijah Vanderveen, Isaiah Quintanilla, and Graeme Vander Meulen, the Beggars secured their first win in three seasons. 

Overall, Providence's strong offensive performance and solid defense secured them the win over the Keelhaulers. The Beggars look to take this momentum and build off it for the upcoming games as they hit the road against Vanguard University on Wednesday, October 16th, at 3 p.m. and finish Cal Pac play the following week. Be sure to come cheer on your Beggars as they wrap up the 2024 season.