FRESNO, Calif. - In the hours ahead of Thursday night's PacWest men's soccer contest between Fresno Pacific and visitors Point Loma, FPU Associate Head Coach Cameron Shahrokhi's message was clear - if the 6th ranked, undefeated Sea Lions win, they'll be crowned PacWest champions... and they'll celebrate on Ramirez Field.  Fast forward to the final whistle, and, while the visitors could still eventually win the conference title, it was not going to happen in Fresno.  A Lucas Ribeiro second half penalty strike secured a season-defining 1-0 victory for the Sunbirds that clinches their place in the inaugural PacWest Postseason Playoffs.  It's Point Loma's only loss in PacWest play this season, and FPU's first win over the Sea Lions since 2018.  
 
"Our team stayed defensively disciplined and stuck together for 90 minutes," Shahrokhi said after the game.  "I am so proud of these guys."

The Sunbirds came out firing on all cylinders and took the game to the visitors from the jump.  FPU's pace and attack caught their opponents off guard and set a tone that would carry through the entire first half.  FPU attempted to stretch the field with many long passes trying to catch their opponent off guard, with the captain Ribeiro often the long ball target.  Few chances came - only one off-target attempt - but the team stuck in and didn't break against the technical and efficient PacWest leaders.  

The second half saw Point Loma's attack intensify, with 11 total shot attempts.  FPU 'keeper Elmer Carballo was tested constantly and came up with some remarkable saves to deny the Point Loma offensive machine.  "Elmer stood on his head for us tonight," Shahrohki added.  

The turning point came in the 63rd minute.  Stephan Morris sent a through ball to a breaking Chris Macias who muscled the ball into the box before getting hauled down by a PLNU defender.  The referee, with a perfect view of the incident, immediately pointed to the spot.  It was Ribeiro, the sharpshooter from São Paulo - the PacWest's leading scorer - who calmly and cooly placed the ball and lined up his target.  "When I stepped up, I felt the usual pressure of taking a penalty kick," Ribeiro commented following the match.  "But at the same time, I have been working on this all season long.  So being prepared gives me the confidence to take it fearlessly."  The captain took a deep breath before stepping up and smashing it into the net.  The bench, as well as the FPU faithful watching in the stands, went berserk when the home team took the lead.  

Despite the single goal advantage, the result felt precarious the rest of the way.  Point Loma's attack intensified, but with Sean Williamson and Julian Aran Martin marshaling the backline - combined with the wizardry of Carballo in goal - it allowed the Sunbirds to withstand the pressure and rise up during the most important minutes of the season.  When the whistle finally blew - the result was confirmed: FPU knocked off a top-ten opponent and punched their ticket to next weekend's PacWest Championships.   

Up next for the 'Birds is the regular season finale against Biola University on Senior Night.  Kickoff is set for 5pm on Saturday night under the lights at Ramirez Field.  The match will stream live on the PacWest Network. 

Stay tuned to FPU Athletics for more information regarding matchups and kickoff times for the PacWest Championships taking place November 14 and 16 in Irvine.


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