Conference Race Takes Center Stage in GSAC Men’s Soccer

GSAC Men's Soccer Report
2026 GSAC Men's Soccer Report • Week 5 • September 23, 2026

Around the GSAC

Benedictine Mesa enters the week as the lone unbeaten team in GSAC play, while Embry-Riddle, Soka and The Master’s remain near the top of the conference standings. The Redhawks have won five consecutive matches, and Embry-Riddle carries a two-match winning streak into a week featuring nine conference matches.

Benedictine Mesa sits atop the GSAC at 3-0 in conference play and 5-1-1 overall. Embry-Riddle follows at 3-1, while Soka is 2-1-2 and The Master’s is 2-1. Arizona Christian rounds out the top five at 2-2.

Benedictine Mesa produced the strongest week in the conference, going 3-0 with victories over Soka, Hope International and Nelson (AZ). The Redhawks allowed just one goal across the three matches and extended their winning streak to five. Embry-Riddle earned a 1-0 victory over Arizona Christian, while Park Gilbert defeated OUAZ 5-1. Soka closed a 1-1-1 week with a 3-1 victory over La Sierra, and The Master’s responded to a 2-1 loss at Hope International with a 13-1 victory over Life Pacific.

The Master’s Trent Rickard was named GSAC Offensive Player of the Week after scoring five goals and adding two assists across two matches. He scored four goals with two assists against Life Pacific and finished the week with 12 points. Embry-Riddle goalkeeper Sam Macdonald earned Defensive Player of the Week honors after making 14 saves and allowing one goal across 180 minutes. He made seven saves in a 1-0 victory at Arizona Christian to complete the week with a 0.50 goals-against average and .933 save percentage.

Rickard has moved to the top of several GSAC offensive categories, leading the conference with 12 goals, 28 points, 39 shots, 20 shots on goal and three game-winning goals. Park Gilbert’s Brody Donovan leads with four assists. Macdonald leads the conference with a 0.88 goals-against average, Soka’s Jacob Warren has a GSAC-best 52 saves and La Sierra’s Angel Ayon leads in save percentage at 1.000.

The week ahead includes several matchups involving teams near the top of the standings. Embry-Riddle hosts Hope International at 7 p.m. PT Thursday before facing Life Pacific at noon Saturday. Arizona Christian hosts The Master’s at 12:30 p.m. Saturday, while Park Gilbert and Soka meet at 7 p.m. The week’s final Saturday matchup sends conference-leading Benedictine Mesa to OUAZ for an 8 p.m. start. Hope International and The Master’s close the reporting period with a 4 p.m. match Wednesday.

Last Week's Results

Wednesday, September 16, 2026
Park Gilbert 5-1 OUAZ
Thursday, September 17, 2026
Benedictine Mesa 2-1 Soka
The Master's 1-2 Hope International
La Sierra 3-2 Arizona Christian
Saturday, September 19, 2026
Life Pacific 1-13 The Master's
Benedictine Mesa 2-0 Hope International
OUAZ 0-0 Soka
Embry-Riddle 1-0 Arizona Christian
Tuesday, September 22, 2026
Benedictine Mesa 2-0 Nelson (AZ)
Soka 3-1 La Sierra

This Week's Schedule

Thursday, September 24, 2026
Arizona Christian vs. Life Pacific | 12:00 P.M. PT
Embry-Riddle vs. Hope International | 7:00 P.M. PT
Park Gilbert vs. La Sierra | 7:30 P.M. PT
Saturday, September 26, 2026
Embry-Riddle vs. Life Pacific | 12:00 P.M. PT
Arizona Christian vs. The Master's | 12:30 P.M. PT
Park Gilbert vs. Soka | 7:00 P.M. PT
OUAZ vs. Benedictine Mesa | 8:00 P.M. PT
Tuesday, September 29, 2026
Life Pacific vs. La Sierra | 7:30 P.M. PT
Wednesday, September 30, 2026
Hope International vs. The Master's | 4:00 P.M. PT
Team Capsules

Arizona Christian

GSAC: 2-2
Overall: 3-4-2

Arizona Christian dropped both of its matches last week, falling 3-2 to La Sierra before a 1-0 loss to Embry-Riddle. The Firestorm enter the week 3-4-2 overall and 2-2 in GSAC play.

Caleb Anderson and Nikarro Williams each scored during the week, while Logan Johnson recorded two assists. Johnson has moved into a tie for second among the conference leaders with four assists. Arizona Christian ranks third in the GSAC in assists per game, goals-against average and save percentage.

The Firestorm host Life Pacific at noon Thursday before a matchup with The Master’s at 12:30 p.m. Saturday.

This Week:
Thursday, September 24 vs. Life Pacific | 12:00 P.M. PT
Saturday, September 26 vs. The Master's | 12:30 P.M. PT

Benedictine Mesa

GSAC: 3-0
Overall: 5-1-1

Benedictine Mesa extended its winning streak to five matches with a 3-0 week, defeating Soka 2-1, Hope International 2-0 and Nelson (AZ) 2-0. The Redhawks improved to 5-1-1 overall and remain perfect in conference play at 3-0.

Franco Marambio scored twice during the week, while Pol Bistue contributed a goal and an assist. Bistue and Marambio each scored a game-winner. Charlie Shepherd made eight saves and recorded a shutout as Benedictine Mesa moved to second in the GSAC with a 1.17 goals-against average.

The Redhawks return to conference play Saturday with an 8 p.m. match at OUAZ.

This Week:
Saturday, September 26 vs. OUAZ | 8:00 P.M. PT

Embry-Riddle

GSAC: 3-1
Overall: 4-3-2

Embry-Riddle earned a 1-0 road victory over Arizona Christian to improve to 4-3-2 overall and 3-1 in conference play. Kevin Yamna scored the game-winning goal, while Sean Maguire recorded the assist.

Sam Macdonald made seven saves in the shutout and enters the week as the GSAC leader with a 0.88 goals-against average. The Eagles also lead the conference with a 1.00 team goals-against average and rank second with a .791 save percentage.

Embry-Riddle hosts Hope International at 7 p.m. Thursday before welcoming Life Pacific at noon Saturday.

This Week:
Thursday, September 24 vs. Hope International | 7:00 P.M. PT
Saturday, September 26 vs. Life Pacific | 12:00 P.M. PT

Hope International

GSAC: 1-1-2
Overall: 4-2-2

Hope International split two conference matches, earning a 2-1 victory over The Master’s before falling 2-0 to Benedictine Mesa. The Royals enter the week 4-2-2 overall and 1-1-2 in GSAC play.

Matthias Alcaraz and Julian Benitez each scored during the week, with Benitez providing the game-winner against The Master’s. Alcaraz remains among the conference’s leading attackers, ranking third with seven goals and 15 points while sitting second with 27 shots and tied for second with 15 shots on goal.

The Royals lead the GSAC with 17.38 shots per game and rank third in goals, points and shots on goal per game. Hope International visits Embry-Riddle at 7 p.m. Thursday before hosting The Master’s at 4 p.m. Wednesday.

This Week:
Thursday, September 24 vs. Embry-Riddle | 7:00 P.M. PT
Wednesday, September 30 vs. The Master's | 4:00 P.M. PT

La Sierra

GSAC: 1-3-1
Overall: 4-3-1

La Sierra split its two matches, defeating Arizona Christian 3-2 before falling 3-1 to Soka. The Golden Eagles are 4-3-1 overall and 1-3-1 in conference play.

Elias Quintanar Macias scored twice on 10 shots, putting six attempts on goal. Vinicius Goncalves and Damian Jimenez also scored, with Jimenez recording the game-winner against Arizona Christian. Abraham Perez made 12 saves across the two matches.

La Sierra leads the GSAC with 9.29 shots on goal per game and ranks second in goals and shots per game. The Golden Eagles visit Park Gilbert at 7:30 p.m. Thursday before facing Life Pacific at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday.

This Week:
Thursday, September 24 vs. Park Gilbert | 7:30 P.M. PT
Tuesday, September 29 vs. Life Pacific | 7:30 P.M. PT

Life Pacific

GSAC: 0-2
Overall: 0-5

Life Pacific fell 13-1 to The Master’s in its lone match of the week. Caleb Enriquiz scored the Warriors’ goal and placed both of his shots on target.

Life Pacific enters the week 0-5 overall and 0-2 in conference play. The Warriors lead the GSAC with 8.25 corner kicks per game and rank second with 6.00 saves per game.

Life Pacific faces Arizona Christian at noon Thursday and Embry-Riddle at noon Saturday before meeting La Sierra at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday.

This Week:
Thursday, September 24 vs. Arizona Christian | 12:00 P.M. PT
Saturday, September 26 vs. Embry-Riddle | 12:00 P.M. PT
Tuesday, September 29 vs. La Sierra | 7:30 P.M. PT

OUAZ

GSAC: 0-3-1
Overall: 1-6-2

OUAZ went 0-1-1 last week, falling 5-1 to Park Gilbert before playing Soka to a scoreless draw. The Spirit are 1-6-2 overall and 0-3-1 in GSAC play.

Thomas Berlinski scored against Park Gilbert, while Jack Murdoch made eight saves during the week and recorded the shutout against Soka. Harry Dwelly generated five shots, including four on goal.

OUAZ has one match this week, hosting conference-leading Benedictine Mesa at 8 p.m. Saturday.

This Week:
Saturday, September 26 vs. Benedictine Mesa | 8:00 P.M. PT

Park Gilbert

GSAC: 1-1
Overall: 4-3

Park Gilbert scored five times in a 5-1 victory over OUAZ, improving to 4-3 overall and 1-1 in conference play. Olli Saksinen accounted for four of the Buccaneers’ goals and scored the game-winner, while Brody Donovan added a goal.

Saksinen’s performance moved him to second in the GSAC with eight goals and 18 points. Donovan leads the conference with four assists and ranks fifth with 10 points. Park Gilbert ranks second in the GSAC in assists, points and corner kicks per game.

The Buccaneers host La Sierra at 7:30 p.m. Thursday before facing Soka at 7 p.m. Saturday.

This Week:
Thursday, September 24 vs. La Sierra | 7:30 P.M. PT
Saturday, September 26 vs. Soka | 7:00 P.M. PT

Soka

GSAC: 2-1-2
Overall: 3-2-2

Soka went 1-1-1 across three conference matches, falling 2-1 to Benedictine Mesa, playing OUAZ to a scoreless draw and defeating La Sierra 3-1. The Lions enter the week 3-2-2 overall and 2-1-2 in GSAC play.

Rudy Garcia scored twice during the week, including the game-winner against La Sierra, while Aidan Sandoval and Aras Jafari also scored. Goalkeeper Jacob Warren made 20 saves and recorded a shutout.

Soka now leads the GSAC in both saves per game at 7.43 and save percentage at .825. Warren’s 52 saves are also the most in the conference. The Lions visit Park Gilbert at 7 p.m. Saturday.

This Week:
Saturday, September 26 vs. Park Gilbert | 7:00 P.M. PT

The Master's

GSAC: 2-1
Overall: 3-3-2

The Master’s split two conference matches, falling 2-1 at Hope International before responding with a 13-1 victory over Life Pacific. The Mustangs are 3-3-2 overall and 2-1 in GSAC play.

Trent Rickard drove the offensive surge with five goals and two assists during the week, including four goals and two assists against Life Pacific. He enters the week leading the GSAC in goals, points, shots, shots on goal and game-winning goals. Rickard has 99 career points, one shy of 100, and 190 career shots, 10 shy of 200.

The Mustangs lead the conference in goals per game at 3.63, assists at 2.25 and points at 9.50 while ranking third in shots and second in shots on goal. The Master’s visits Arizona Christian at 12:30 p.m. Saturday before traveling to Hope International for a 4 p.m. match Wednesday.

This Week:
Saturday, September 26 vs. Arizona Christian | 12:30 P.M. PT
Wednesday, September 30 vs. Hope International | 4:00 P.M. PT
GSAC Statistical Leaders

Team Leaders

Goals per Game

  1. 1 The Master's 3.63
  2. 2 La Sierra 2.00
  3. 3 Hope International 1.88

Assists per Game

  1. 1 The Master's 2.25
  2. 2 Park Gilbert 1.50
  3. 3 Arizona Christian 1.33

Points per Game

  1. 1 The Master's 9.50
  2. 2 Park Gilbert 5.17
  3. 3 Hope International 4.88

Shots per Game

  1. 1 Hope International 17.38
  2. 2 La Sierra 17.14
  3. 3 The Master's 17.00

Shots on Goal per Game

  1. 1 La Sierra 9.29
  2. 2 The Master's 8.38
  3. 3 Hope International 7.88

Corners per Game

  1. 1 Life Pacific 8.25
  2. 2 Park Gilbert 7.00
  3. 3 Soka 6.14

Goals-Against Average

  1. 1 Embry-Riddle 1.00
  2. 2 Benedictine Mesa 1.17
  3. 3 Arizona Christian 1.33

Saves per Game

  1. 1 Soka 7.43
  2. 2 Life Pacific 6.00
  3. 3 La Sierra 5.00

Save Percentage

  1. 1 Soka .825
  2. 2 Embry-Riddle .791
  3. 3 Arizona Christian .755

Individual Leaders

Goals

  1. 1 Trent Rickard The Master's 12
  2. 2 Olli Saksinen Park Gilbert 8
  3. 3 Matthias Alcaraz Hope International 7

Assists

  1. 1 Brody Donovan Park Gilbert 4
  2. 2 Jose Garcia Arizona Christian 4
  3. 3 Logan Johnson Arizona Christian 4

Points

  1. 1 Trent Rickard The Master's 28
  2. 2 Olli Saksinen Park Gilbert 18
  3. 3 Matthias Alcaraz Hope International 15

Shots

  1. 1 Trent Rickard The Master's 39
  2. 2 Matthias Alcaraz Hope International 27
  3. 3 Raul Aranda Arizona Christian 26

Shots on Goal

  1. 1 Trent Rickard The Master's 20
  2. 2 Daniel Garcia La Sierra 15
  3. 3 Matthias Alcaraz Hope International 15

Game-Winning Goals

  1. 1 Trent Rickard The Master's 3
  2. 2 Matthias Alcaraz Hope International 2
  3. 3 Olli Saksinen Park Gilbert 2

Goals-Against Average

  1. 1 Sam Macdonald Embry-Riddle 0.88
  2. 2 Charlie Shepherd Benedictine Mesa 1.00
  3. 3 Tyler Beehler Hope International 1.14

Saves

  1. 1 Jacob Warren Soka 52
  2. 2 Franco Barba The Master's 36
  3. 3 Emiliano Vega Arizona Christian 30

Save Percentage

  1. 1 Angel Ayon La Sierra 1.000
  2. 2 Dustin Rogers Arizona Christian 1.000
  3. 3 Tyler Beehler Hope International .828

NAIA Top 25

Poll No. 2 • September 16, 2026
Rank School Record
1 Oklahoma Wesleyan [14] 3-0-1
2 Indiana Tech [1] 6-1-1
3 Cumberland (Tenn.) 5-0-2
4 MidAmerica Nazarene (Kan.) [1] 3-1-1
5 William Carey (Miss.) 6-0-1
6 Georgia Gwinnett 4-1-1
7 Life (Ga.) 5-1-1
8 Rio Grande (Ohio) [1] 4-0-1
9 William Penn (Iowa) 2-0-3
10 Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) 4-2
11 Keiser (Fla.) 2-1
12 Olivet Nazarene (Ill.) 4-0-1
13 John Brown (Ark.) 4-1
14 WV Tech (W. Va.) 1-1-3
15 Indiana Wesleyan 4-1-2
16 Ottawa (Kan.) 3-1-1
17 LSU Shreveport (La.) 4-2-1
18 Bethel (Ind.) 3-2-2
19 Union Commonwealth (Ky.) 4-1
20 Spring Arbor (Mich.) [1] 7-0
21 Grand View (Iowa) 2-2-1
22 Faulkner (Ala.) 5-2
23 Cumberlands (Ky.) 2-3-1
24 Stanton (Calif.) 7-0-1
25 Warner Pacific (Ore.) 2-1-1

Receiving Votes: Hope International

OLC Digital Rating

Through September 22, 2026
Rank School Rating
1 Olivet Nazarene 68.83
2 Southwestern Christian 65.70
3 Tennessee Southern 65.60
4 Cumberland 65.25
5 Stanton 65.11
6 Indiana Tech 64.87
7 Texas A&M-San Antonio 63.76
8 MidAmerica Nazarene 63.57
9 Life 63.47
10 Indiana Wesleyan 63.37
11 Ottawa 63.27
12 Texas A&M-Victoria 62.98
13 Columbia (MO) 62.75
14 Mount Vernon Nazarene 62.70
15 Keiser 62.57
16 Southern Oregon 62.39
17 Union Commonwealth 62.30
18 Benedictine Mesa 62.23
19 Oklahoma Wesleyan 62.20
20 William Penn 62.02
49 The Master's 56.86
59 Hope International 55.37
76 Embry-Riddle 52.62
85 Soka 51.69
93 Park Gilbert 50.62
115 La Sierra 47.97
116 Arizona Christian 47.60
160 OUAZ 40.25
181 Life Pacific 34.73
Active GSAC Career Leaders

Goals

  1. 1 Trent Rickard, The Master's (#2) 43
  2. 2 Jose Garcia, Arizona Christian (#44) 18
  3. 3 Nitai Bental, Embry-Riddle 16
  4. 4 Elias Quintanar MacIas, La Sierra 12
  5. 5 Matthias Alcaraz, Hope International 11

Assists

  1. 1 Jose Garcia, Arizona Christian (#25) 16
  2. 2 Trent Rickard, The Master's (#42) 13
  3. 3 Adiel Kaduya, The Master's 9
  4. 3 Francesco Busini, Embry-Riddle 9
  5. 5 Josh Flanagan, Arizona Christian 7

Points

  1. 1 Trent Rickard, The Master's (#4) 99
  2. 2 Jose Garcia, Arizona Christian (#43) 52
  3. 3 Nitai Bental, Embry-Riddle 37
  4. 4 Vinicius Goncalves, La Sierra 29
  5. 5 Elias Quintanar MacIas, La Sierra 27

Shots

  1. 1 Trent Rickard, The Master's (#8) 190
  2. 2 Nitai Bental, Embry-Riddle 101
  3. 3 Jose Garcia, Arizona Christian 99
  4. 4 Matthias Alcaraz, Hope International 77
  5. 5 Vinicius Goncalves, La Sierra 73

Shots on Goal

  1. 1 Trent Rickard, The Master's (#4) 101
  2. 2 Jose Garcia, Arizona Christian 50
  3. 3 Nitai Bental, Embry-Riddle 47
  4. 4 Vinicius Goncalves, La Sierra 41
  5. 5 Matthias Alcaraz, Hope International 40

Game-Winning Goals

  1. 1 Trent Rickard, The Master's (#19) 7
  2. 2 Jose Garcia, Arizona Christian (#31) 6
  3. 3 Nitai Bental, Embry-Riddle 4
  4. 4 Elias Quintanar MacIas, La Sierra 3
  5. 4 Sean Maguire, Embry-Riddle 3

Goalie Wins

  1. 1 Emiliano Vega, Arizona Christian (#27) 15
  2. 2 Julian Graham, The Master's (#43) 10
  3. 3 Nicklas Lagesen, Park Gilbert 8
  4. 4 Abraham Perez, La Sierra 5
  5. 5 Tyler Beehler, Hope International 3

Saves

  1. 1 Emiliano Vega, Arizona Christian (#13) 159
  2. 2 Julian Graham, The Master's (#27) 126
  3. 3 Nicklas Lagesen, Park Gilbert 82
  4. 4 Abraham Perez, La Sierra 64
  5. 5 Rafael MacHado, Benedictine Mesa 32

Shutouts

  1. 1 Julian Graham, The Master's (#25) 8
  2. 2 Emiliano Vega, Arizona Christian (#33) 7
  3. 3 Abraham Perez, La Sierra (#45) 5
  4. 4 Nicklas Lagesen, Park Gilbert 4
  5. 4 Rafael MacHado, Benedictine Mesa 4

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