FRESNO, Calif. — Fresno Pacific men's soccer celebrated eight seniors Saturday with a 1-0 victory over Cal Poly Humboldt at Ramirez Field. The Sunbirds (6-8-1, 3-6-0 CCAA) turned up the pressure after halftime, outshooting the Lumberjacks 12-5 in the second half and earning a shutout behind
Sebastian Aguilar.
The Sunbirds recognized the following seniors before the match: Bryan Lopez, Brandon Lopez, Daniel Perez, Shogo Haraikawa, Ayden Salvador, Sebastian Aguilar, LJ Fernandez, and Joey Chavez. Through their hard work, commitment to their teammates, and passion for representing the Blue and Orange, these seniors have helped shape the culture of Fresno Pacific soccer. The Sunbirds thank them for their impact on and off the field and wish them continued success in their next chapters.
"I'm incredibly proud of this group," said Head Coach Cameron Shahrokhi. "We've faced adversity and challenges all season, but these guys continue to show up, fight for one another, and find ways to overcome."
The teams battled through a scoreless first half, with Aguilar making three saves to keep Humboldt off the board. Fresno Pacific created several opportunities of its own, including a dangerous look from
Nixon Hansen, whose attempt was blocked by a Lumberjack defender.
The Sunbirds broke through in the 61st minute when
Zion Vaughn rose above the defense to head home a cross from
Edgar Vega, finding the top-right corner to give FPU the 1-0 lead.
Vaughn nearly added an insurance goal with 19 minutes remaining, sliding toward the ball inside the box, but the goalkeeper got a foot to the attempt to deny him. Fresno Pacific continued to threaten late, with
Bryan Lopez forcing a save after a combination play with twin brother
Brandon Lopez. Another dangerous cross nearly found Vaughn in front of goal, but the goalkeeper secured the header.
The Sunbirds held firm through the final minutes to secure the Senior Day victory and improve to 6-8-1 overall and 3-6-0 in CCAA play.
"Tonight wasn't always pretty, but it was a gritty, hard-earned team victory. The 1-0 result speaks to our resilience, discipline, and commitment to each other. We're grateful for the result, but we know there's still work to be done. We'll stay humble, stay hungry, and keep moving forward together."
NEXT UP: The Sunbirds are on the road next week. With three conference matches remaining in regular season, the 'Birds are looking forward to their matches against Cal Poly Pomona on Friday, Oct. 23 and nationally-ranked Cal State LA that following Sunday.
SUNBIRD SOCIAL
- X - @fpusunbirds
- Instagram - @fpusunbirds
- Facebook - @FPUsunbirds
#TeamFPU
