MESA, Ariz. – The Soka University Lions earned a hard-fought 1–0 victory over Benedictine University Mesa on Saturday, September 13, to open conference play with a win.
 
The match remained scoreless until the closing minutes, when Mateus Seiki Rosa broke through in the 88th minute to give the Lions the decisive goal.
 
Benedictine held a slight edge in overall shots (19–14), but Eric Aparicio anchored the Soka defense with eight saves to secure the shutout. The Lions also held the advantage on corner kicks, 8–4, and kept their composure in a tough contest.
 
"The boys deserved their victory tonight. We were sound defensively and created more opportunities than just the one we converted," said head coach Shawn Beyer. "It's a great way to start our inaugural GSAC league campaign. We will travel home and gear up for another big match on Wednesday. Alex and I are happy for the team because we have put in a lot of work.  It is nice to get this big result and start with a win and clean sheet."
 
With the win, Soka starts conference play at 1–0 and builds momentum heading into the next stretch of the season.