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Fresno Pacific squandered a 2-0 lead, giving up four second half goals to visiting Sonoma State (#22 NCAA D2) in a 4-2 loss Saturday night.

"We played a very good team that made some significant adjustments in the second half," said FPU coach Jaime Ramirez after the loss. "They made some good substitutions, we made three unnecessary fouls and they made us pay."

FPU was hitting on all cylinders in the first half, as midfielders Fabricio Nazare and Alexis Hernandez maintained much of the possession and distributed well. It  would result in two quick goals.

In the 15th minute, Nazare fired a hard shot straight at the goalie who was unable to corral it. Gustavo Da Silva was right there to pick it up and drove the ball into the net to give the Sunbirds the early lead.

Da Silva would contribute again minutes later, using some fancy footwork to get by the defense and give off a pass to Paul Islas. Islas fired a shot from the right side into the left side of the net for a 2-0 FPU lead.

FPU limited the Seawolves' chances in the first half, only allowing them one shot on goal, and the Sunbirds were constantly putting pressure on the SSU defense.

The second half was a completely different story. The Seawolves came out playing more physical and wanting to take risks on offense. Just one minute into the half, FPU was called for a foul just outside the box, resulting in a Sonoma State free kick that was driven straight into the goal by Trevor Hurst.

Hurst scored again in the 55th minute, as Taylor Varnadore threw the ball into the box and it bounced off numerous players in a crowded group. Hurst was given credit for the goal, tying the game at two.

The momentum in the game had clearly shifted and the Seawolves took advantage of it in the 72nd minute on another tough break for the Sunbirds. FPU was whistled for a foul just inside the box, giving Sonoma State a penalty kick that was driven in by Ryan Hall.

Now with the lead in hand, the Seawolves would tack on one more five minutes later on another free kick. This time it was Brian Angel with a nice curving shot into the net.

"The mistakes all created dead-ball situations," said Ramirez. "Those were phenomenal shots, but why give up a free kick if it's not necessary?"

It was a physical game throughout, with a combined 36 fouls. Sonoma State outshot the Sunbirds 17 to 10 and had six shots on goal to the Sunbirds five. The Seawolves are picked to win the CCAA North Division.

"[Sonoma State] is as good a possession-oriented team as they come at the D2 level," said Ramirez. "We are a work in progress, but we can be just as good as them."

FPU falls to 1-2 on the season and Sonoma State is now 1-0. The Sunbirds travel to Nebraska next weekend for games against two ranked NAIA opponent, #15 Hastings and #21 Bellevue.