FRESNO, Calif.- A close match from start to finish ended in a 1-1 draw Tuesday night as the Fresno Pacific Sunbirds faced off in a midweek non-conference matchup with the UC Santa Cruz Banan Slugs at Ramirez Field. 

The Sunbirds came out strong and managed to take the lead early in the first half.

Fresno Pacific capitalized on a set-piece opportunity when a scramble in the box resulted in an own goal at the 12th minute mark, putting them up 1-0.

The Sunbirds continued to press forward, but UC Santa Cruz's defense stood firm.

Despite the Sunbirds' efforts, they couldn't extend their lead before halftime.

The second half saw a shift in momentum as UC Santa Cruz ramped up their efforts to equalize.

They pushed higher up the field, earning several corner kicks and applying sustained pressure on the Sunbirds' defense.

The 'Birds, meanwhile, struggled to maintain possession and were forced to defend. 

The turning point came in the 76th minute when UC Santa Cruz found their breakthrough, scoring and tying the match 1-1. 

The final 15 minutes of the match were tense, with both teams pushing for a winner, but both came out unsuccesful as the match ended in a draw. 

Fresno Pacific's goalkeeper, Dewa Sanjaya, played a crucial role in keeping the Sunbirds in the game.

He made three key saves, including a critical stop in the 73rd minute to deny the Banana Slugs from close range.

On the defensive end, Sean Williamson and Tomas Escobar were pivotal in clearing numerous dangerous balls and organizing the backline under pressure.

The Sunbirds will head back out on the road and back into conference play as they head to San Francisco for a matchup with The Academy of Art at 11am on Saturday. 

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