Pacific Index

Pacific Men’s Soccer Set for Rematch With Puget Sound

Pacific University men’s soccer enters the center of their conference schedule with plenty still to play for. Through their first nine matches of the 2026 season, the Boxers currently sit at 2-4-6 overall and 2-2-6 in conference play, putting them in the middle of a competitive NWC race heading into a very critical stretch of the schedule.

The Boxers’ season has spotlighted plenty of close matches. After dropping their first two regular-season contests against Bushnell and Evergreen, Pacific responded with a dynamic 3-2 comeback victory over Lewis & Clark on September 11. The Boxers trailed 2-0 at halftime before scoring three times in the second half to come back and secure the victory. Nico Lomanto scored twice, including the game-winning penalty kick, while Trenton Zimmermann added a goal to complete the comeback.

Pacific followed that win with a 2-2 draw against Willamette before battling through a narrow 1-0 loss to Pacific Lutheran. The Boxers then began a stretch of strong conference results, with a 2-2 draw at Puget Sound on September 20, a 1-0 victory over Whitworth and a 2-2 draw against Whitman.

The Whitworth victory was particularly crucial for Pacific. Zimmermann scored the only goal in the 53rd minute, while goalkeeper Kobi Miyamoto recorded four saves which earned him his first shutout of the season. The goalkeeper has already become an important piece of the Boxers’ defensive effort after earning All-NWC recognition in his freshman year last season.

Pacific recently played to a 1-1 draw against Willamette on September 30. Afsheen Alijani gave the Boxers an early lead in the 16th minute after receiving a pass from Carter Zeiset, but Willamette equalized early in the second half. Pacific continued to create chances and finished with a 15-13 advantage in shots. Miyamoto made five saves as the Boxers got themselves another conference point.

Sophomore defender Trenton Zimmermann spoke about the team’s position and overall vibe at this point of the season. “We’ve had most of our tough games so far, but our defense is strong, and we’re starting to find our rhythm. I think at this point of the season we are very strong and we know we need to keep working hard. It feels like we’re building momentum and becoming a better team each game.” Zimmermann even as a young player understands how important momentum is with him being a 17 out of 19 game starter last season as a freshman. “I think getting a lot of playing time freshman year really helped build my confidence coming into this season. I learned a lot last year, and my main focus these next few games is keeping clean sheets defensively while also contributing as many goals for our team as I can.”

Now looking forward, Pacific faces a demanding stretch that could have a significant impact on their position in the conference standings. On October 16, Pacific will host the University of Puget Sound at Hanson Stadium at 5 pm as part of Pacific’s Homecoming weekend. The match is scheduled for the opening day of Homecoming 2026, which runs from October 16 – 18.

The matchup carries extra significance because the two teams have already battled it out this season. On September 20, Pacific traveled to Tacoma and came away with a 2-2 draw. The Boxers led 1-0 at halftime after Zeiset scored in the 40th minute. Puget Sound responded with two goals in the second half, but Lomanto was  able to convert a penalty kick in the 79th minute to secure the draw for the Boxers.

For Pacific, the Homecoming matchup will give them the opportunity to turn a previous hard-fought road draw into three points for conference positioning. With the crowd and energy of the Homecoming atmosphere surrounding the stadium, the Boxers will be supported and ready to face a Puget Sound team that has yet to lose this season.

With a young roster and a season surrounded by competitive and tight games, Pacific has already shown that it can compete with some of the conference’s best. These next several matches will determine whether those close contests become points in the standings and the Homecoming meeting with Puget Sound could be one of the biggest opportunities yet to come.