FOREST GROVE, Ore. – A pair of chances in front of the goal mouth was all the Pacific men's soccer team would need on the offensive end as the Boxers topped the UC Santa Cruz Banana Slugs 2-1 at Hanson Stadium.
 
Pacific's (2-3) opening goal came in the 11th minute when the combination of junior Matt Kimball (Tigard, Ore.) and senior Elan Yogi (Mililani, Hawaii) played a ball across the goal mouth and wrong footed the Banana Slugs' () keeper, allowing junior Weli Alamillo (Aiea, Hawaii) to score his second goal of the weekend on a tap-in.
 
The remainder of the opening half was highlighted by strong play in goal by Pacific junior Leyton Thommasen (Des Moines, Wash.), who tallied six opening half saves against the Banana Slugs.
 
The second half saw UC Santa Cruz knot the game at 1-1 in the 52nd minute as Luis Sedano converted a penalty kick.
 
The tie was short lived, when in the 53rd minute, Ikaika Urasaki (Kaneohe, Hawaii) capitalized on an assist from both sophomore Ronnie Bartenstein (Kailua, Hawaii) and junior Diego Lopes (San Francisco, Calif.) to net his first collegiate goal.
 
Urasaki's goal proved the decider in a physical second half, which saw the two sides combine for nine shots over the final thirty minutes of regulation.
 
Pacific opens Northwest Conference play on Saturday with a 2:30 p.m. scheduled kickoff at home against Puget Sound.