Utah Tech men's soccer was knocked out of the WAC Tournament, falling to California Baptist 1-0 on Sunday night in the quarterfinal round at GCU Stadium.
Goalkeeper
Stockton Short set the Utah Tech record for single-season saves, finishing the game with five stops. Short's 105 saves this season pass former Trailblazer Zach Nielson's 102 saves in the 2019 season.
After each team fired an early shot off target, UT's first solid chances came on shots by sophomores
Manu Monserrat and
Samir Cuevas, both blocked by defenders.
Short dove to his left to make his first save on a shot by Lancer freshman Blake D'Agostino in the 16th minute.
D'Agostino found the ball in the box with an empty net in the 20th minute, but senior
Gavin Coe made a stop a couple of yards from the goal line for a team save.
Short made his second save in the 25th minute on a shot down the middle.
The Trailblazers developed a promising chance in the 35th minute. Sophomore
Austin Wallace nutmegged a defender and then sent a through ball to Cuevas who fired a shot just wide right of the goal.
Short stopped a third shot in the bottom left corner of the net in the 44th minute to keep the game tied at halftime.
In the 61st minute, Cuevas recorded the Trailblazers' first shot on goal with a header off a free kick by Monserrat. Lancer goalkeeper Hugo Do Rego made the save.
California Baptist was awarded a goal in the 62nd minute off a shot by D'Agostino. Officials determined the ball just barely crossed the goal line after an initial Lancer shot hit the crossbar from a corner kick and D'Agostino tapped in a rebound.
Wallace put a shot top-shelf in the 72nd minute but Do Rego stopped it.
Redshirt junior
Bryce Backlund tried a shot to the bottom left of the goal that a diving Do Rego foiled in the 75th minute.
After Short saved another D'Agostino shot in the 75th minute, Cuevas launched the last UT shot on target to the bottom left, which Do Rego saved.
In the 90th minute, Cuevas collided with a Lancer defender and was sent off after being shown his second yellow card.
California Baptist (6-7-5, 4-4-1 WAC) outshot the Trailblazers 19-13, with a 7-4 advantage in shots on goal. Utah Tech (4-10-4, 2-3-2 WAC) committed fewer fouls, 7-9, and totaled five saves to CBU's four. The Lancers were called offsides five times and shown four yellow cards.
CBU advances to face No. 2 seed Seattle U on Wednesday, Nov. 13 at 7 p.m.