ST. GEORGE, Utah – The Pacific men's soccer team erased a two-goal halftime deficit with three unanswered goals in the second half, rallying past Utah Tech, 3-2, on Sunday night at Greater Zion Stadium.
After falling behind to the Trailblazers (0-2) early from a lightning-delayed kick-off, the Tigers (1-1) responded with a second-half surge that produced three goals in a span of over 30 minutes, securing their first victory of the 2026 season and the first win for first-year head coach Andres Ochoa.
Although facing a 2-0 hole at the halftime break, the Tigers came out aggressively and quickly flipped the momentum. Just six minutes into the second half, sophomore
Edwin Moreno put Pacific on the board, finishing a chance assisted by sophomore
Josephat Yangyuoru to cut the deficit to 2-1. Moreno tallied his first Pacific goal after coming to the program from Hartnell College last season.
Pacific needed just two minutes more to level the match. In the 53rd minute, freshman
Fateh Singh scored his second goal in as many matches, converting a chance set up by junior
Erick Luna Ramirez and sliding through the Trailblazer defense to equalize the contest.
The Tigers continued to push for the go-ahead goal, creating several opportunities while sophomore
Alejandro Caracheo Luna continued to keep Utah Tech off the scoreboard. The Pacific goalkeeper and native of Stockton, California finished the night with a season-high ten saves, including four in the second half.
Pacific's comeback was completed in the 81st minute by senior
Massimo Erfani. After a Utah Tech foul inside the box, Erfani stepped up and calmly converted the penalty kick, giving the Tigers their first lead of the night, 3-2. The tally marked Erfani's second career goal and his first since Oct. 4, 2025, at Seattle.
Utah Tech had opportunities to equalize in the final moments, but Pacific's defense held firm. Caracheo Luna made one final save on a Utah Tech shot in the 88th minute before the Tigers saw out the remainder of the match for the result.
Despite being outshot 18-12 across 90 minutes, Pacific put eight shots on target and made its opportunities count, especially in the second half where the Tigers out-chanced their opponent, 8-7.
Pacific returns home for the next two contests, which will feature the 2026 home opener on Thursday, Aug. 27 against UC Davis at 7 p.m. from Knoles Field. The Tigers defeated the Aggies by a 2-1 margin last season on the road.
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