GLENDALE, Ariz. – A moment of individual brilliance from sophomore Ryder Skolka sent third-seeded Benedictine Mesa into the GSAC Men’s Soccer Championship with a 1-0 win over second-seeded Arizona Christian on Friday afternoon at ACU Soccer Field. The victory pushes the Redhawks into Tuesday's title match at top-seeded La Sierra in Riverside, California.

After a tense, scoreless first half that featured few clear chances for either side, the Redhawks began to tilt the field in their favor as the second period wore on. The breakthrough came in the 71st minute, when Skolka took a feed from Gergo Varga, slipped between two defenders at the top of the box, and lofted a left-footed shot over the Firestorm keeper into the upper corner. The strike, Skolka’s fourth of the season, stood as the difference in a contest that demanded patience and composure from both sides.

Benedictine Mesa finished with a 22–15 advantage in total shots and outshot Arizona Christian 15–7 in the second half, keeping steady pressure on the Firestorm defense. Goalkeeper Moritz Ae made two saves to secure his fifth clean sheet of the year as the Redhawks held firm through a flurry of late ACU corners and long passes into the box.

Arizona Christian generated its best chances early through Jose Garcia and Marcos Mora, but could not capitalize despite eight corner kicks and stretches of possession around the attacking third.

With the win, Benedictine Mesa improved to 10-4-5 overall and advances to its first GSAC Championship appearance, while Arizona Christian falls to 10-6-3. The Redhawks will now battle La Sierra for the conference title and an automatic berth to the NAIA National Championship.