Oregon State University men’s soccer captured the first ever Pac-12 Tournament title by defeating San Diego State 2-1 on Saturday evening at Paul Lorenz Field, securing an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament for the seventh-consecutive year.
- Tournament MVP Stock: Goalkeeper John Nicolson cemented his draft and professional profile with a pair of vital saves, highlighted by a late reaction stop.
- Postseason Exposure: Oregon State heads to the postseason for the seventh-straight year with the victory.
- Set-Piece Efficiency: The Beavers’ reliance on dead-ball execution, exemplified by Jacob Zapien’s 80th-minute winner off a corner kick, proves crucial for tournament success.
Oregon State opened the scoring in the 16th minute when Aidan Marquez pounced on a loose ball from an Aztec defender and converted a one-on-one chance against the goalkeeper. Tim Hoffman kept the pressure high with back-to-back shots just past the post in the 28th and 30th minutes, sending the Beavers into halftime with a 1-0 advantage.
San Diego State opened the second half on the front foot and leveled the score off a set piece in the 63rd minute.
Gonzalo Aranaz nearly restored the lead for Oregon State in the 71st minute, but his effort was deflected just wide of the post. Paul Lorenz Field hosted a crowd of 1,341, marking the fifth-largest attendance in the venue’s history.
The decisive sequence arrived in the 80th minute during a chaotic penalty area scramble. Jacob Zapien scrambled home the winner on a corner kick that pinballed through the box.
“It proved to be the winner, as the Beavers’ captain picked a big moment to score for the first time in his collegiate career,” Oregon State University Athletics reported of Zapien’s late heroics.
San Diego State nearly equalized in the 83rd minute when a header clanged off the post. Nicolson sealed the victory with a critical save in the 89th minute, preserving the 2-1 final score.
| Match Metric | Oregon State | San Diego State |
|---|---|---|
| Goals Scored | 2 | 1 |
| Goalkeeper Saves | 2 (John Nicolson) | – |
| Tournament Seed / Bid | Automatic NCAA Bid | – |
Zapien, Marquez, and Evan Carlock earned selections to the All-Tournament Team, while Nicolson claimed Tournament MVP honors. Oregon State now awaits the NCAA Tournament Selection Show on Monday at 10 a.m. to learn its postseason path.
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