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Paul Islas scored with 45 seconds left in the second half to lift #1-seed FPU past #8-seed Westmont 2-1 at Ramirez Field on Wednesday. Islas' goal, his 16th of the season, came on a header after a deep-ball cross served into the box by Chris Young. FPU out-shot the Warriors 32-7 but trailed 1-0 at halftime before Islas found Luke Tyler for the equalizer.

FPU advances to the GSAC semifinals and will host #5-seed Biola on Saturday (time to be determined).

"I like the resiliency of this team," said coach Jaime Ramirez afterward. "In these situations you can't help but have a sense of panic and anxiety but the guys responded well. Often in the playoffs getting that first win out of the way is the hardest. We have a group of guys that don't know what it's like to be in this position. I hope after today the guys know that games like this are exactly why we are the #1 seed."

Despite controlling a vast majority of the possession and holding the clear shot-advantage, FPU found itself in a battle with a Westmont team that played smart and would bend but not break on defense.

The Sunbirds had multiple chances to score in the first half, taking 15 shots to the Warriors' four, but it would be Westmont's Emmanuel Ayken finding the net first. After a Zach George throw in bounced off Tyler the ball fell directly at Ayken's feet, giving him a clear shot at close-range to give Westmont the lead in the 22nd minute.

FPU had plenty more chances in the first half, most notably a Paul Islas shot off the post in the 33rd minute, but the Sunbirds went into the break down a goal.

“The goal rattled us a little bit,” said Islas afterward. “We talked at halftime about being patient. We knew we would generate more opportunities and when we got them we needed to finish.”

A determined Sunbird side came out of the break looking to relentlessly attack. An early second-half goal was negated due to offsides and another prime chance by Islas was deflected out of bounds by the keeper.

In the 60th minute, the Sunbirds' efforts would finally pay off as Islas took a free kick from the left side. The perfectly placed ball gave the Westmont keeper no chance at it as Tyler knocked it directly into the goal to tie the game.

Just minutes later, Westmont had its best chance of the second half as Ayken broke away from the defense and looked to have a clean shot in the box. The ball got away from him though and some excellent Sunbird defense deflected his eventual shot. Doug Harrell picked up the rebound though for the Warriors and blasted a shot that went off the top crossbar before the defense cleared it.

From that point FPU, which out-shot the Warriors 17-3 in the second half, turned up the heat. Islas had multiple chances as the game began to wind down, including one where he was fouled hard at the top of the box resulting in a Westmont yellow card. The spot of the foul was marked just inches outside the box though, and FPU missed the subsequent shot.

Islas then had what could have been the game-winner with 1:45 left in the game after Rodrigo Vianna split the defense with a pass, but Islas' shot went just high of the mark.

The game appeared headed for overtime but as the clock winded down into the final minute, the Sunbirds gained possession and Chris Young served the ball into the box from near mid-field. Islas timed it perfectly and went up for a header against a bigger defender, winning the ball and taking a soaring shot that floated over the diving keeper's grasp.

 “I put my head down and just tried to put it on-frame,” said Islas, who has used his speed and technical ability to frustrate GSAC defenses all year but isn't typically one to go up for a header in the box. “It was my first career goal off a header. I didn't expect to score but I figured we've got a minute left, I might as well give it a shot.”

It was Islas' fifth game-winning goal this season. He's now contributed to a goal in 16 of FPU's 17 games.

“He's just such a good player and it's so easy to find him on the field,” said teammate Gustavo Silva. “He's a great finisher…very valuable to this team. When he runs it creates space for everyone else to play.”

It was potentially the last matchup between two GSAC rivals, as FPU moves to the NCAA's Pacific West Conference next year. Fresno Pacific and Westmont have helped define men's soccer at the NAIA level. The Warriors were a powerhouse in the 60s and 70s before FPU emerged as a national contender in the early 80s.

Biola knocked off #4-seed Vanguard 1-0 in Costa Mesa tonight to earn a trip to Fresno on Saturday. The Sunbirds defeated Biola 3-1 on the road earlier this season.

In other GSAC action, #2 Azusa Pacific needed penalty kicks to fend off #7 Hope International. Meanwhile, #3 Concordia defeated #6 The Master's 2-1. APU and Concordia will play Saturday in the other semifinal.