David Perez’s late goal the difference as Oregon State men’s soccer shocks No. 1 Washington 1-0

Oregon State heads into the NCAA men’s soccer playoffs with a serious rush of momentum after the Beavers stunned No. 1 Washington 1-0 Thursday night in Seattle.

David Perez scored in the 84th minute for the game’s only goal to provide the difference for the unranked Beavers. OSU handed Washington (15-1-3) its only loss of the regular season.

OSU (7-3-6) continued its recent mastery of Washington, as the Beavers are 2-0-2 against the Huskies during the past two seasons. Oregon State beat UW in Seattle last year when the Huskies were ranked No. 1.

Oregon State is certain to land an NCAA playoff berth, but Thursday’s win may have elevated the Beavers into a top 16 seed. The top 16 seeds in the 48-team bracket earn a first-round bye.

The NCAA unveils the playoff bracket at 10 a.m. Monday. If the Beavers aren’t seeded, they’re likely to host a first-round game.

Oregon State has a strong case for a top 16 seed, as its regular season resume includes a win and a tie over the top-ranked Huskies, in addition to wins over No. 5 Stanford, No. 9 Denver and No. 18 Portland.

OSU was 5-0-2 against top 25 teams this season. Following Thursday’s win, the Beavers are expected to move into the top 10 in RPI.

Last year, the Beavers were NCAA tournament’s No. 1 overall seed. OSU lost in the quarterfinals to eventual national champion Clemson.

Perez’s goal capped a strong second half for Oregon State. The Beavers outshot UW 7-2 after halftime, nearly scoring the go-ahead goal on a couple earlier occasions.

Perez scored his goal on a point-blank shot that deflected off the hand of Husky goalkeeper Sam Fowler and into the net.

–Nick Daschel | ndaschel@oregonian.com | @nickdaschel