SAN JOSE, Calif.- A tight game from start to finish went the Fresno Pacific Sunbirds way Sunday as they closed the Julian Fraser Memorial Tournament with a 16-14 win over the Long Island University Sharks.
The Sunbirds and the Sharks started strong, each team matching the other's pace.
LIU scored the game's first goal.
Jordan Lambert responded with a quick equalizer, and both teams continued trading goals.
Eugenio Maldonado scored an exclusion goal, leveling the score. Pietro Cattano added another, bringing the score to 4-4 at the end of the first period.
Fresno Pacific dominated in the second period, scoring six goals compared to LIU's four.
Blake Johnson and Forrest Gray opened the period with early goals, while the Sharks countered.
A standout moment came when Pietro Cattano scored from a penalty shot, giving the 'Birds a lead they held through much of the period.
The Sunbirds ended the period with a late goal by Forrest Gray, widening their lead to 10-8 by halftime.
The intensity escalated in the third period, with both teams scoring five goals each.
Forrest Gray opened with a penalty goal, and Blake Johnson contributed twice more.
The Sharks, however, matched Fresno Pacific's efforts, scoring multiple times, including from exclusion opportunities.
Christian Clark's late goal kept Fresno Pacific narrowly ahead, holding a 15-13 lead going into the final period.
In the final period, both teams displayed stronger defense, limiting each other to a single goal. LIU scored, tightening Fresno Pacific's lead to just one.
Pietro Cattano scored the game-sealing goal with just 43 seconds left on the clock, bringing the final score to 16-14 securing the 'Birds victory.
The 'Birds will be back in the pool Friday at 7pm at Sunnyside Aquatics Center for a nighttime WWPA conference matchup with the Biola Eagles.
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