MORAGA, Calif. - Saint Mary's Men's Soccer defeated the University of the Pacific 1-0 at home on Saturday afternoon on the strength of a goal by David Brog to improve to 9-4-1 overall and 2-0-1 in conference play.

The Tigers came out of the gate fast as they controlled the pace early on with their aggressive attack. But even with that early pressure into the defensive end of the Gaels, it was the home team who had all of the quality scoring chances in the first half.
 
The score remained nil-nil at the break though, due to each team's defense blocking shots or forcing them to come from a tough angle. The pattern continued early in the second half as shots by Valentin Kurz, Riley Lynch, and Brog were either off target or redirected by the Tigers defense, but the Gaels began to put the Tigers on their heels starting around the 55^th minute.
 
And in the 64^th minute the Gaels broke through. Cade Cowan led Brog downfield with a pass, and the Sandy, Utah native did the rest. Brog raced ahead and slipped the ball around a Tigers defender catching the Pacific player flat footed. Brog got inside the penalty area and fired a right-footed shot that the goal keeper and a defender got a piece of but it found its way into the net for a 1-0 Gaels lead on Brog's third goal of the season.
 
The Gaels preserved the shutout in the 88^th minute in a wild series of events that saw a yellow card handed out to a Pacific player as they set up for a corner kick. The corner was deflected as it got inside the penalty area and keeper Nicholas Lapinid had to reach back while on the ground to keep the ball from crossing the plane of the goal line.
 
The Tigers argued the non-goal and had another yellow card issued as their frustration boiled over with some dangerous contact, but the Gaels kept their cool and their unbeaten record in WCC play.

UP NEXT
The Gaels remain at home this Wednesday, October 27 at 3:00 p.m. in what will a battle for first place in the West Coast Conference standings at Saint Mary's Stadium.

#GaelsRise — Single game tickets are on sale this weekend! To select your game and your tickets, click HERE!