MERCED, Calif. — Fresno Pacific defeated UC Merced 2-1 on Sunday for their first CCAA win of the season. Despite being tied at the half, the Sunbirds held UC Merced scoreless for the remainder of the game, including an eight-action attacking stretch from 76:02 to 81:30 without conceding a goal.
"It was an excellent team effort to bounce back from a tough loss on Friday night," said Head Coach
Cameron Shahrokhi.
The Sunbirds and UC Merced went to halftime tied 1-1 after
Zion Vaughn scored from
Noah Naranjo in the fourth minute and UC Merced answered through Erlin Gomez shortly after. The Bobcats held a 9-5 advantage in shots, including five attempts and two corners after the 35th minute, while
Arturo Alegria made two saves in that late stretch as the half remained level.
The Sunbirds scored the only goal of the second half when
Brandon Lopez finished off an assist from his twin brother
Bryan Lopez in the 68th minute to take a 2-1 lead. The pass crossed perfectly into the box, allowing Brandon to sink the shot into the right corner of the net for the game-winner. UC Merced had several more attempts in the half and earned four corner kicks, but FPU's Alegria made a save during a late stretch of pressure as the Sunbirds closed out the 2-1 result.
"I'm proud of the way our guys competed today. That's a huge win on the road. UC Merced is a quality side."
In conference, Vaughn is ranked first in the CCAA in goals (8), seventh in shots on goal (9), and points (17). Brandon secured his first goal of the season. On top of that, Bryan leads the team in assists (4) and holds a spot in multiple categories in the CCAA rankings, including shots on goal, shots, and assists.
The Sunbirds are 4-3-1 overall and 1-1-0 in conference play.
NEXT UP: The Blue and Orange hit the road for their matchup against Cal State East Bay on Sunday, September 27 at 11:30 am.
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