THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. – The Kingsmen showcased incredible resilience in their match against UC Santa Cruz on Saturday afternoon. The game ended in a draw at 3-3 after intense back-and-forth action in the final few minutes.

The match started with the Kingsmen trailing 1-0 at halftime. However, Alejandro Loza's goal quickly leveled the score early in the second half with an assist from Jack Giminiak, setting the stage for a thrilling finish.

The final ten minutes saw three goals exchanged. After JP Melgoza tied the game in the 86th minute, the Banana Slugs quickly reclaimed the lead. Yet, Melgoza was not done, scoring his second goal in the 86th minute, this time assisted by Max Scott, to end the match at 3-3.

Celebrating Senior Day, the team honored its seniors, including Melgoza, Harrison Brown, Preston Fleming, Sebastian Perez, Daniel Fujiwara, Jackson Endsley, Jordan Becker, Caleb Merrill, Cameron Pisan, Aidan Johnston, Gen Katashiba in a fitting tribute to their contributions. 

Head Coach Miguel Ruiz highlighted the importance of the seniors to the team. "We're grateful for our seniors. They've had four fantastic years with us, and they will certainly be missed," Ruiz stated.

The Kingsmen record sits at 5-6-4 (3-3-2 SCIAC) as the postseason approaches. "We hope to continue our season and come out here for the final two weeks of the stretch, having good outcomes. Hopefully, it will continue into the playoffs and the tournament," said Ruiz. 

Their next challenge comes against Pomona-Pitzer on Wednesday, October 23rd, where they'll aim to build on their recent momentum.