(SAN DIEGO) PLNU Men's Soccer, receiving votes in the United Soccer Coaches Poll, continued its unbeaten start to PacWest play with a 2-0 home victory over Hawai'i Pacific on Thursday afternoon.
Â
"Overall, I'm very happy with the performance," Head Coach
Phil Wolf said. "This game hit us at the end of a very long stretch so in many ways any result is a positive result. Obviously, I was hoping that we could score a couple more goals, but a 2-nil result is acceptable."
Â
Zach Mercieca scored for the third straight game to give Point Loma a first half lead in the 17th minute before
Elijah Langford sealed the victory with his goal in the 89th.
Â
Mercieca and Langford now both lead the team with six goals apiece this season.
Â
Â
On PLNU's first goal, freshman right back
Shawn O'Brien played a perfect through ball to Mercieca, who cut inside and finished with the inside of his right foot.
Â
Langford, who hit the crossbar earlier in the game, then sealed the three points for the Sea Lions with his late goal.
Â
Â
Off a goal kick, freshman goalkeeper
Jeremy Caringella picked out
Emmett Layman on the left wing to play a first-time ball to Langford out of the air. A streaking Langford then made no mistake with his finish, poking the ball beyond the goalie to clinch the victory.
Â
Caringella made a big save in the second half, leaping to deny a shot seemingly destined for the top corner to preserve PLNU's third shutout of the season. The Sea Lions outshot the Sharks, 12-6, with only one of HPU's shots being directed on target.
Â
Â
Point Loma (8-1-3 overall, 6-0-1 PacWest), currently sitting atop the conference standings, now has over a week off before its next conference match on Oct. 26 against Chaminade. Kickoff on The Point is scheduled for 11:30 a.m.
Â
"Now we have some time off before our next game against Chaminade next Saturday, so we are excited to get away from the game a little bit, heal up and then get back to training," Wolf said.
POSTGAME INTERVIEW
