Monterey Bay F.C. routs Indy Eleven 5-0, remains in race for a playoff spot.

Monterey Bay F.C. dominated on both sides of the pitch on Saturday night at Cardinale Stadium, routing Indy Eleven 5-0 to set a club record for goals scored in a match and—more importantly—to keep pace in the five-team battle for the final playoff slot.

Chase Boone struck twice in the first half, the second declared an own goal. James Murphy, Sam Gleadle and Christian Volesky piled it on after the break. Meanwhile, goalkeeper Antony Siaha and Monterey Bay’s back line kept the visitors from doing any harm, recording Siaha’s 7th clean sheet in 12 starts.

“I think we’re supremely confident right now,” explains Murphy, a defensive-minded midfielder. “We’re playing well and we’re getting results. We think we can beat anyone on our home field—and right now we think we can go anywhere and give teams a real test.”

The ability to travel well will be crucial to the Union’s playoff chances as the season winds down. After playing host to Phoenix on Wednesday, the club visits Miami FC Saturday, with a quick followup at Las Vegas Tuesday.

Monterey Bay’s final home game is Oct. 1 when they welcome the Tampa Bay Rowdies before heading back on the road for the final two contests.

“I think the next 10 days will sort of say it all,” notes head coach Frank Yallop. “I feel good about it. It’s in our hands.”

Monterey Bay remains in 9th position on the table with 38 points, one point ahead of Las Vegas in 10th. The top seven teams in each conference make it to the USL Championship postseason. Rio Grande Valley—where the Union close out the season—holds the final tournament spot with 39 points.

Oakland has also accumulated 39 points, but is bumped to 8th on goal differential, +5 to +4.

On Saturday, Monterey Bay cut a significant chunk from their goal differential deficit. The five goals slashed the season mark to -7.

The onslaught started in the 31st minute, when Indy goalkeeper Tim Trilk saved a Volesky shot but could not secure the ball. Boone darted into the box and rapped the ball home. Twelve minutes later Gleadle and Volesky freed some space with a give and go then found Boone in the box. While Boone did direct the ball toward goal, officials said it glanced off Indy’s Robby Dambrot.

Either way, it put the Union on top 2-0 at the break. And just minutes into the second half Murphy extended the lead, arcing a shot from distance. It was his first ever USL goal, coming on his 25th birthday.

“I’m not much of a birthday person, but I’ll take this one today,” Murphy says with a broad smile. “My phone is blowing up already; people are shocked that I scored because I don’t normally get those.”

Before the crowd of 3,804 settled, Monterey Bay was on the attack again, with Gleadle and Simon Dawkins on the give and go. A cheeky back-heel flick by Dawkins caught Gleadle in stride and suddenly it was 4-0.

The final score came in the 66th minute after Grant Robinson sent Gleadle to the wing where his cross found Volesky for an easy goal—the fifth of the game and the 50th of Volesky’s USL Championship career.

He missed out on an opportunity to reach the milestone in front of his friends and family when last Saturday’s schedule match in Las Vegas was postponed. Volesky is from the city.

“I figured I would get it in that game,” he says. “But in front of these fans, it was incredible. Now we go for 100.”

Monterey Bay improves to 12-2-14 on the season with 38 points. The club hosts Phoenix (9-5-15, 32 points) on Wednesday, Sept. 21 at 7:30pm, looking to avenge a season opening loss to the Rising.