After a 2-2 Hawaii road trip the Sunbirds enter one of the most important weeks of their season when they resume conference play to take on two of the top four teams in the PacWest with just 1.5 games separating FPU from the top spot in the conference.

The Sunbirds boast one of the conference's most balanced attacks with newcomers Renato Bustamante and Jorge Chedraui leading the way. Both have scored eight goals and added two assists and are tied with each other in sixth place in the PacWest with 18 total points. Senior Gustavo Silva and sophomore Alvaro Nogales are next in line with 16 and 12 points. Silva has scored in two of his last three matches and Nogales has scored the only two goals on set pieces this season for the Sunbirds. As a team, the Sunbirds average exactly half a goal more per match than any other school in the conference at 2.79, just ahead of Academy of Art.

FPU comes into the week 9-4-1 overall, 6-2 in conference and as the league's highest scoring team with 39 goals, seven more than AAU who sits in second. Before surrendering 10 goals in Hawaii the Sunbirds were by far the toughest defensive squad as well, but have fallen back to the middle of the pack in sixth place after the road trip.

The Sunbirds begin the week with a showdown against long-time rival Azusa Pacific who sits at the top of the table with 24 points, six ahead of the Sunbirds 18. The Cougars have played one more match than the Sunbirds and are 8-1 in conference.

APU, the hottest team in the PacWest, is in the midst of a six-match win streak in which they have leaned heavily on its calling card; a stingy, relentless defense. During the win streak the Cougars have allowed more than one goal just once and thrown two shutouts against Hawaii Hilo and Dominican. APU currently ranks second in the conference in goals against average (1.06).

2012 PacWest Newcomer of the Year Oktay Bulut leads a Cougar offense that ranks fourth in the conference in goals (27) with 16 points (seven goals, two assists). The German senior is tied for 10th in conference with Sunbird Gustavo Silva in points and ninth in goals.

FPU is 23-22-4 all-time against the Cougars, but recent results have tilted in the Sunbirds favor. FPU has won two straight dating back to 2010 by identical results of 3-1. Last season's contest featured a multi-goal performance from then freshman Alvaro Nogales.

In order to pull of their third-straight win over Azusa, Fresno Pacific will need a well-balanced attack and an organized defense orchestrated by a senior-laden backline.

The week gets no easier as the Sunbirds welcome in a much improved Point Loma team under second year head coach Phil Wolf. The Sea Lions have already more than tripled their win total from 2012 with seven wins overall and five conference wins, up from one PacWest win last season.

The wins are even more impressive when you consider that Point Loma has won three of four one-goal matches, last season they lost five such matches in seven chances.

PLNU is led by goalkeeper Carter Phillips who, along with the rest of the defense, has kept five clean sheets, tied for the most in the conference this season. Phillips is allowing 1.39 goals against average when you factor in non-conference losses to nationally ranked teams CSU Dominguez Hills and UC San Diego. Since that time PLNU has allowed just over one goal per match.

The Sea Lions have struggled offensively where they rank sixth in the conference with 24 goals this season. That number is next to last amongst teams with a mathematical shot at claiming the conference title, just ahead of BYU-Hawaii with 22. Freshman Daniel ten Bosch has paved the way offensively for Point Loma with 18 points on four goals and 10 assists that ranks him tied for sixth in the conference in points. His 10 assists lead the conference in both total assists and assists per game (.67).

FPU is 23-9-5 all-time against the Sea Lions and 4-0-1 in their last five matches dating back to 2008. Last season the Sunbirds got a hat trick from MLS draftee Paul Islas in a 4-0 shutout on Senior Day, a feat FPU would love to repeat as they play Point Loma on Senior Day for the second straight season. 

FPU will host Azusa Pacific Wednesday at 7 p.m. before welcoming in Point Loma on Saturday for Senior Day at 1:30 p.m.