FRESNO, Calif.- It was a tale of two games for the Fresno Pacific Sunbirds Saturday as they faced off against Valley rivals Fresno State and UC Merced in the Bulldog Mini at the Fresno State Aquatics Center. 

GAME ONE

The Sunbirds started the morning with a match up against the #7 Fresno State Bulldogs. 

Fresno Pacific struggled out of the gate as Fresno State applied relentless offensive pressure, jumping to an early lead. The Bulldogs set the tone early with a trio of quick strikes, extending the lead to 3-0 within the first five minutes. The 'Birds responded with a goal from Maggie Cook at the 4:25 mark, momentarily stopping the Bulldogs' momentum. However, Fresno State continued their dominance, closing the period with another pair of goals, pushing their lead to 7-2.

The 'Birds defense improved in the second period, holding Fresno State to just four goals compared to their dominant first period. The Sunbirds found a moment of hope when Tatum Benson converted a goal assisted by Bella Alcazar at 6:22, but the Bulldogs quickly answered at the 4:19 mark. Late in the period, Maddie Murad found the back of the net, but the Bulldogs countered with back-to-back goals in the final minute, extending their halftime lead to 11-4.

Coming out of halftime, Fresno State showed no signs of slowing down, launching a full-on attack that overwhelmed the Sunbirds. A trio of Bulldogs led a scoring spree that saw Fresno State add seven goals in the quarter. Fresno Pacific's lone goal came from Autumn Johnson at the 4:27 mark, but the team was otherwise stifled by Fresno State's aggressive defensive play. Heading into the final period, the Sunbirds trailed 18-5. 

The 'Birds attempted to limit the damage in the final quarter, but the Bulldogs continued their dominance. Fresno State added another five goals, extending their lead to an insurmountable margin. With time ticking away, Dakota Lambert managed a late goal with 45 second remaining. Time expired, and Fresno State walked away with the 23-6 victory.

GAME TWO

Game two for the Sunbirds featured another Valley match up, this time with the UC Merced Bobcats. 

Fresno Pacific bounced back in a big way against UC Merced, controlling the tempo early and establishing their dominance. Alli Hepner opened the scoring at 6:43, followed closely by Regan Azevedo less than 30 seconds later. Although the Bobcats got on the board with a goal, Fresno Pacific quickly responded with goals from Hepner and Tatum Benson, ending the quarter with a 4-1 lead. 

The Sunbirds continued their offensive onslaught in the second quarter, outscoring UC Merced 5-3. Emma Cook and Tatum Benson struck early, further increasing the gap. The Bobcats showed signs of life with a pair of goals, but Fresno Pacific maintained control, closing the half with a 9-4 advantage after Francis Benson scored with just 52 seconds left in the period. 

The Sunbirds put the game out of reach in the third quarter, delivering their most dominant stretch of play. Tatum Benson took over, scoring three goals in the period., including one assisted by Azevedo. Sierra Coyne, Francis Benson, and Summer Fulton each contributed to an offensive explosion, where the 'Birds outscored the Bobcats 8-0 in the period. Heading into the final frame, Fresno Pacific held a commanding 17-4 lead.

With the game well in hand, the 'Birds controlled possession and continued to add to their lead. Francis Benson and Maggie Cook each scored twice, with Cook securing back-to-back goals late in the game. The Bobcats managed two late goals, but the Sunbirds' offensive firepower was too much to overcome. When the final buzzer sounded, Fresno Pacific secured a dominant 22-6 victory , marking a strong response following their tough loss earlier in the day. 

"Today was a solid day, we played aggressive and confident against strong Fresno State," said head coach Bryan Suhovy. "With very little rest we went up against UC Merced in game two, where the girls played consistent and stuck to our game plan. We were able to sub liberally in both games getting players alot of experience."

UP NEXT

The Sunbirds will host the Sunbirds Mini this upcoming weekend, welcoming Chapman, University of LaVerne, and Cal State Monterey Bay to the Sunnyside Aquatics Center. Fresno Pacific will kick off the mini with a game against Chapman at 10am on Saturday. 

"All-in-all it was a good day and I am happy with how we played."

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