(Stockton, Calif. - Aug. 31, 2025) – Utah Tech men's soccer was tripped up at Pacific, 2-1, on Sunday night at Knoles Field. Senior midfielder Tyson Nguyen scored his first goal of the season in the effort. 

Pacific (1-2-0, 0-0-0 WCC) put the first shot on frame in the ninth minute. Sophomore forward Ezekiel Padilla rocketed one on goal, but UT senior goalkeeper Stockton Short batted the ball down and out of danger. 

Tiger junior forward Massimo Erfani tried one to the bottom left of the net, but Short laid out to make the stop in the 12th minute. 

Senior forward Andre Saucedo launched Utah Tech's first shot on goal in the 25th minute. Saucedo took the shot from the corner of the box, and Pacific junior goalkeeper Mateus Ruiz-Hurst made the save at his left post. 

The Trailblazers (0-2-2, 0-0-0 WAC) got in the way of a promising Tiger counterattack in the 31st minute. Freshman forward Josephat Yangyuoru's initial shot was blocked, and the second-chance opportunity by Erfani missed high. 

Pacific scored its first goal of the season to take a 1-0 lead in the 36th minute. Sophomore defender Carlos Maldonado sent a ball into the box, and fellow sophomore defender Muharif Abdul-Kadir headed the ball back across the area, setting up Yangyuoru at the left post for a left-footed goal off the crossbar and in.

Right out of halftime, Short made a stop down the middle on a long shot by Tiger senior midfielder Jose Maria Barrera in the 47th minute. 

Fifth year forward Colby Lee hammered a shot to the right post in the 52nd minute, but Ruiz-Hurst made a kick save to keep the ball out of the net. 

The Tigers extended their lead to 2-0 in the 54th minute. A challenging ball went across the box and bounced off a Utah Tech defender for an own goal. 

Nguyen hit a one-timer with his right foot into the back of the net to cut the Pacific lead to 2-1 in the 60th minute. Junior defender Miguel Regino assisted on the play, sending a low cross into the box. Lee picked up a second assist, feeding the ball to Regino for the cross.

In the 61st minute, Nguyen nearly tied the game on a cross-box shot that Ruiz-Hurst stopped.

Pacific went down a man after freshman forward Dominic Berrios was shown a red card in the 67th minute. 

Ruiz-Hurst made another big diving save on a shot by Godinez from the edge of the box in the 78th minute. 

UT's final chance came on a long-range attempt by senior defender Anthony Godinez that missed high in the 89th minute.

Both teams tallied nine shots, and Utah Tech held a 5-4 edge in shots on goal. The Tigers were called offside twice. UT had five corner kicks to Pacific's one. 

The Trailblazers return home to host Cal State Bakersfield on Saturday, Sept. 6. Kickoff is slated for 8 p.m. at Greater Zion Stadium, and the match will be broadcast on ESPN+.