Menlo vs. Pacific Union - Game Stats

Menlo Season Stats

ATHERTON, Calif. - A fast start is exactly what Menlo College needed, but proved to be far from enough in a 4-1 California Pacific Conference loss to a fierce Pacific Union squad on Friday afternoon at Wunderlich Field.

It took a shade under six minutes for the Oaks to make the breakthrough they needed early in the match. Forward Carlos Ramirez earned a corner kick for Menlo that Jaime Pagen curled across the mouth of the goal. Senior Said Karimzad went up and nodded the ball home at the back post for a 1-0 Oaks advantage with five minutes, 39 seconds gone.

Menlo kept up its solid early play defensively, forcing the Pioneers into a number of long-range efforts before a slip up that changed the game. In the 16th minute, Edrie Mauries chased down a pass that was lofted over the Oaks back line and placed the ball by goalkeeper Brian Periman for a momentum-changing equalizer.

Some sloppy defending allowed Pacific Union's Jonathan Groschel to score in a similar fashion in the 29th minute and take a 2-1 lead into halftime.

The Pioneers put the match away when Brandon Voigt scored in the 51st minute. David Kwon looked to have scored Pacific Union's crucial third goal, but defender Pat Conte cleared the ball off the line. Unfortunately, Voigt was there to send the clearance back into the net for a 3-1 cushion. Mauries added his second goal of the match in the 59th minute from a free kick.

Menlo managed to outshoot the Pioneers 16-15, but couldn't find the net after Karimzad's opener. Conte and Dominic Mitchell each had a dangerous free kick turned away in a match that proved to be even everywhere except the scoreboard.

The Oaks are now 2-2 in the Cal Pac and 2-8 overall heading into a match at William Jessup on Tuesday at 3 p.m. Pacific Union is 3-0-1 in conference play and 3-1-1 overall.