MORAGA, Calif. – Behind a pair of first-half goals from Massimo Erfani and Josephat Yangyuoru, the Pacific men's soccer program continued its strong start to West Coast Conference play with a 2-1 road victory over Saint Mary's on Saturday afternoon at Saint Mary's Stadium.
The Tigers (3-7-3, 2-0-1 WCC) struck twice in the opening 29 minutes to establish an early advantage and held off a second-half push from the Gaels (2-7-4, 0-3-1 WCC) to secure their second consecutive victory and remain unbeaten through their first three conference matches.
Pacific's early offensive surge began in the 20th minute when Erfani found the back of the net to give the Tigers a quick 1-0 lead. Carlos Maldonado and Edwin Moreno combined to set up the scoring opportunity, with both earning assists on the play.
The goal marked Erfani's third of the 2026 campaign and continued an impressive trend for the freshman midfielder. All three of Erfani's goals this season have come in Pacific victories, including the Tigers' 3-2 comeback win at Utah Tech and last weekend's 2-1 triumph over Santa Clara.
In the 29th minute, Yangyuoru stepped up to the penalty spot and converted to give the Tigers a commanding 2-0 advantage. The goal was Yangyuoru's fourth of the season, further showcasing his offensive contributions alongside Pacific's emerging attacking threats.
The Tigers carried their two-goal cushion into halftime despite Saint Mary's generating 12 first-half shot attempts. Pacific goalkeeper Alejandro Caracheo Luna anchored the defensive effort with four saves before intermission, helping preserve the clean sheet through the opening 45 minutes.
Saint Mary's increased its offensive pressure following halftime, eventually breaking through in the 62nd minute when Rafael Suarez scored to cut Pacific's advantage to 2-1.
With momentum shifting toward the home side, Pacific's defensive unit responded to the challenge.
Caracheo Luna remained composed between the posts as the Gaels continued searching for an equalizer. Saint Mary's finished with 27 total shots, including 15 in the second half, but the Tigers limited the damage and protected their narrow advantage through the final whistle.
The victory marked Pacific's third consecutive win over Saint Mary's dating back to the 2024 campaign and its second straight victory in Moraga.
Under first-year head coach Andres Ochoa, the Tigers have now earned seven points through their opening three WCC contests.
Pacific returns home to continue WCC action against San Diego on Saturday, Oct. 17 at 7 p.m. from Knoles Field. The Tigers seek their first victory over the Toreros at home since the 2019 campaign.
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