IRVINE, Calif. – The Fresno Pacific men's soccer team have upset #1 seed Point Loma 1-0 to advance to the PacWest Championship Game. For the second time in eight days, the nationally sixth-ranked Sea Lions have fallen to the Sunbirds – their only conference defeats all season.

It was last week's win at Ramirez Field, thanks to a Lucas Riberio 63rd minute penalty, that ensured FPU's place in the inaugural conference playoffs, and today's win means that they will play for an automatic berth in the NCAA Division II National Tournament on Saturday.  

The contest was largely controlled by the Sea Lions, who applied constant pressure on the FPU back line for 90 minutes.  PacWest Player of the Year, Elijah Langford, was a consistent presence throughout the game for Point Loma and showed what a crucial player he was for the regular season conference champions.  The first half ended scoreless, with both teams showing strong defensive play.  The Sea Lions attempted six shots, with Simon Sagal leading the charge with five, but the Sunbirds' goalkeeper Elmer Carballo made two key saves to keep the game level.  The Sunbirds managed two shots, including an effort by Lucas Ribeiro, but neither found the target. The half was also marked by frequent fouls, with each team committing multiple infractions, contributing to a physical contest.

The Sea Lions' offensive efforts included 15 shots, with Langford and Felix Calero leading the way, but Carballo's goalkeeping for the Sunbirds proved impenetrable, saving multiple attempts.  The Sea Lions outshot the Sunbirds 23 (8) - 4 (1) but the lone on-target FPU shot in the 63rd minute was not only the game's best chance for either side but also the most decisive of the contest.  Deep in FPU territory, Sunbirds captain Julian Aran Martin cleared a Sea Lions free kick away from goal and it fell to Bryan Lopez, who began a swift counter with Ribeiro on the left and Chris Macias on the right.  Lopez, in the center, offloaded to Macias who drew his defender in creating an opening to goal, and slipped through Lopez who only had the keeper to beat.  He took a few touches before chipping over the outstretched Jeremy Caringella to give FPU the lead.  The goal was scored in the 63rd minute - the exact same time that Ribeiro notched a winning penalty against the Sea Lions eight days earlier.

"It feels good to get a goal in a match as big as this one and it feels amazing to help the team advance to the next game", said the goal scorer Lopez.  "Once I saw Chris on the ball, I was confident in his ability to slip a ball in behind and that was where I made a run.  A great ball in from Chris thankfully put me in a perfect position to finish off the counter."

The half saw frequent fouls, with the Sunbirds committing seven and the Sea Lions six, alongside two yellow cards issued to the Sunbirds and one to the Sea Lions' Langford.  The final 27 minutes of the contest saw FPU fight off waves and waves of attack from the high-powered Point Loma offense.  FPU defenders Aran Martin, Sean Williamson, Joshua Espinoza, and Liam Nichols-Shipley were rock-solid, along with the ever-reliable Carballo, whose eight saves were as important in the victory as Lopez's goal.  By the time the final whistle blew, it was a sigh of relief for the fourth-seeded Sunbirds, who are one win away from the NCAA tournament.  

It was a massive moment of vindication for the Sunbirds, who no one saw advancing this far - let alone even qualifying for the first-ever PacWest Tournament at all.  "Heading into the final, we feel very confident," captain Ribeiro said after the game.  "In the beginning of the season they predicted us to finish 11th in the table, but we never cared about that because we knew about our potential and now, we're making sure they know it as well."

"Proud of these guys, but we aren't satisfied," said FPU Associate Head Coach Cameron Shahrokhi. "We will enjoy this today, but we will begin preparing for Saturday."

Fresno Pacific Top Performers
----------------------

Elmer Carballo
- 8 saves
- 1 shutout

Chris Macias
- 1 assist

Bryan Lopez
- 1 game-winning goal

The PacWest Championship Game kicks off Saturday at 2pm PT from the OC Great Park in Irvine.  The Sunbirds will face #2 seed Westmont College.  The Warriors defeated FPU 2-1 back in October off goals from All-PacWest First Team selections Connor Lynch and Erik Guerrero, who combined for 14 goals and 10 assists in the regular season.  The game will stream exclusively on the PacWest Network for $15.  Tickets to attend Saturday's game in Irvine are for sale HERE.  


SUNBIRD SOCIAL 

Twitter - @fpusunbirds 
Instagram - @fpusunbirds 
Facebook - /FPUsunbirds