Box Score

It was a game to forget for the first-place Sunbirds who fell in Honolulu 5-1 to Hawaii Pacific as the Seawarriors put an end to FPU's five match win streak. 

"We ran into a very good team," said head coach Jaime Ramirez. "They are probably the toughest conference team to play away. They play their field extremely well."

Jorge Chedraui was the lone offensive bright spot for Fresno Pacific (7-3-1, 5-1) in the match putting away his team-leading sixth goal of the season in the 50th minute, on an assist from Eric Velarde, after the Seawarriors (6-3-1, 4-1-1) took a 3-0 lead in the first half.

A missed penalty kick after the Sunbirds were already down 2-0 was a small sampling of the inability to finish that plagued one of the most offensively explosive teams in the Pacific West Conference. The Sunbirds created a number of early opportunities before HPU ever got on the board, but could not punch the ball in the back of the net.

"We just missed our opportunities today. We were right in front and we just missed them," said Ramirez.

After going down 3-0 at the break Chedraui made a statement coming out of the half with the quick score to cut the deficit to two goals. Eight minutes later HPU answered back reestablishing the three-goal cushion. A pair of red cards left the Sunbirds down two men with what proved to be an insurmountable deficit.

More unusual than the lack of offensive production were the defensive struggles for the Sunbirds, the best defensive team in the conference.  FPU came into the match allowing just .89 goals per match and hadn't allowed multiple goals by a conference opponent this season. Goalkeeper Fabian Rangel and the defense allowed three first-half goals; the highest total surrendered by the Sunbirds in a first half since September 11, 2010 in a 7-1 loss to Hastings.

 "Today was a bad day at the office for us. We didn't defend and we couldn't finish," said Ramirez. "It got away from us. We are very disappointed, but this is an opportunity for us to learn. We just have to recompose ourselves and get ready for Thursday."

Fresno Pacific will look to cure their scoring woes against winless Chaminade on Thursday.