[Box score]

SAN DIEGO - Point Loma battled hard against one of the top teams in the Pacific West Conference but in the end the Sea Lions men's soccer team fell to Hawaii Pacific 2-0 on Saturday (Oct. 6).

PLNU now drops to 1-5-0 in PacWest play (2-7-0 overall). The win keeps HPU (5-4-0, 5-1-0 PacWest) within a half-game of first-place Notre Dame de Namur (5-1-1 PacWest).

The Sea Warriors broke the early tie on a goal by Alejandro Porras off a free kick in the 21st minute. Porras took the shot from 20 yards out and hooked the ball around the wall of PLNU defenders into the corner of the net for the goal.

Point Loma would then hunker down on defense and keep the score at 1-0 going into halftime.

The Sea Lions' best chance to score came in the 54th minute. After a free kick near the top of HPU's box hit the hand of a Sea Warriors' defender, PLNU was awarded with the penalty kick. Erick Friessen took the shot to the low right of the net but his attempt was thwarted by on a diving stop by goalie Mael Lefebvre.

"We were fighting like crazy at 1-0 and to earn a penalty kick and for their keeper to catch it clean was tough emotionally," said Point Loma head coach Phil Wolf, "but I felt our guys kept going and fighting. But obviously 1-1 looks better than being down 1-0."

Hawaii Pacific would tack on another goal in the 78th minute. Porras found Kanoa Nartatez streaking up the field for a one-on-one matchup with PLNU goalie Carter Phillips. Nartetez flipped the ball over the sliding Phillips to himself and touched it into the net for the score.

Porras finished the match with one goal and one assist to lead all scorers. He continues to rank in the top 10 in the NCAA Division II in scoring with 26 points this season.

Phillips had four saves to lead PLNU. Dylan Wingrove and Griffin Fuller both had two shots for the Sea Lions.

"In this game we passed the ball well, but we have to pass the ball with the purpose of scoring goals," explained coach Wolf.

"I thought it was a tough result," coach Wolf continued. "We are still not creating enough to really test their goalkeeper but I thought we played well against a good team, but at the end of the day it is what the scoreboard says and we just can't get on the right side of that at the moment."

Point Loma will be at home again on Monday to host Hawaii-Hilo at 1:00 p.m.