COSTA MESA – Men's soccer will head to the Pacific West Conference Tournament next Thursday, after their 1-0 win against Menlo at VU Soccer Field secured a second-place finish in the league. The Saturday afternoon kickoff made for a quality match riddled with physicality in midfield and visceral counterattacking football across the 90 minutes. It was Adan Alvarado, however, who proved to be the difference-maker, as a sensational free kick gave the Lions the win on Senior Day.

The Blue and Gold's last game of the regular season moves them to 9-4-4 and 7-1-2 as the Lions go unbeaten at VU Soccer Field in 2025. Menlo miss out on the PacWest playoffs, dropping to 11-4-2, 5-3-2. The Lions are now 10-5-2 all-time against the Oaks, and avenge the 2-1 loss to MC the last time they met in Costa Mesa back in 2023.

Alvarado is up to nine goals and four assists on the campaign, which places him with the fourth most points in the PacWest at 22. Alvarado scored or assisted in more than half of the PacWest regular-season matches this year and has three goals and one assist in his last two games.

What Happened? Prior to kickoff, the Lions celebrated eight seniors (Aidan Hay, Tyler Miramontes, Ben Sieber, Slater Hammer, Robert Ronco, Connor McCoy, DJ Kiernan, Nolan Tubbs) for their commitment and contributions to the program. Then it was down to business for both teams, as the 350+ in attendance were soon thrust into the game's sharp rhythm and intensity.
Both VU and MC played the same formation but carried out their game plans differently. Menlo tried breaking down VU by playing out of the back, where the Lions exposed the space down the wings and feasted off aggressive runs from their strikers.

Menlo had the game's first shot inside two minutes, as an Oak caught the ball on the half-volley outside the box, rifling a ball straight toward Hay. The graduate not only made the save, but more impressively made the catch, for his first of the day.

The Lions were honed in the early stages of the match, and gave Menlo a lot to handle down the wings. Sidney Dina was razor sharp to kick off the match, firing off a shot, frequently switching the field, and single-handedly creating one of the best chances of the entire 90-minute match.

Dina won the ball in midfield and drove straight at Menlo from the left wing. Then he spotted a sleek run from Tyler Williams and carved an absolute super ball through the MC defense to put Williams in. Alone through the left side of the box, Williams tried to slam it past the keeper, but the angle was closed down at the near post as the Lions were denied the early goal.

After a few more VU shot attempts, Menlo finally established themself in the match, progressing up the pitch as a unit and using movement across the front line to mold holes in the Lion defense. Luckily, those gaps were filled formidably, as Kevin Abarca came on at left back and absolutely bossed the backline. The sophomore was frankly unbeatable throughout the match and was equally calculated in his aerial duels.

Menlo had four of the remaining five shots of the half to keep VU scattered. Likewise, the Lions, who unfortunately were already slightly shorthanded with squad availability, suffered more injuries as Tyler Miramontes, Brian Silva, and Connor McCoy would eventually have to come off.

The Lions led 5-3 in shots and 2-0 in corner kicks in the second half. They managed to come out more organized after the slew of injuries and bolstered the midfield with Ashton Ta-Tran and Michael Coury, who helped reinforce Luke Parker.

If the first period was both teams methodically poking to break each other down, the second half  was a fast-paced slugfest. Menlo fell victim to VU's rapid ability to break on the counter and lost out in the midfield duels to give the Lions control.

Alvarado scored in the 56th minute, in a rare moment where the half was forced to standstill due to a direct free kick. Positioned around 23 yards out, Menlo set their wall to cover the angle from the right wing. Alvarado absolutely ripped the ball with a captivating curler that bent around the ball and beat the Menlo keeper before they could dive to the near post and push it away.

Trailing 1-0, Menlo played catch-up the rest of the match and couldn't keep a lid on VU's momentum. The Oaks could only force one more save from Hay, which was routine to his bottom right in the 86th minute. Though VU would go on to miss a penalty kick just one minute later, the miscue proved inconsequential as the Lions punched their ticket to the PacWest Tournament for the first time in program history.

What Was Said? "We battled hard today," started Head Coach Jesus Miramontes. "We were missing some key starters, and other guys stepped up. Our seniors played great and led the way from the back with another shutout. I'm so proud of this group of seniors. It was a perfect way to send them out."

What's Next? VU heads to the PacWest Semifinals against Hawaii Hilo on Thursday, November 13, at Thorrington Field.