SANTA BARBARA, CALIF. -- They've waited a year for this. And no unranked team is about to take this moment from them.
The reigning NAIA national champion Cougars opened postseason play today with a 5-2 victory over Cal Baptist in the semifinals of the NAIA regional playoffs in Santa Barbara. However, it took a 2-1 Cal Baptist first-half lead to get Azusa Pacific focused into the game. Once that happened, the Cougar offense was off to the races.
zusa Pacific, which is ranked No. 3 in the NAIA, takes on No. 2-ranked Westmont is Saturday's regional championship game at 1 p.m. on the Warriors' home field. Westmont is the only team to beat Azusa Pacific the past 2 seasons, handing the Cougars a 3-1 defeat 3 weeks ago in Azusa on Oct. 13. The winner of the regional title game then heads to the Pacific Northwest to face another regional champ on Saturday, Oct. 13. That eventual winner earns an automatic bid into the NAIA Tournament.
Cal Baptist, which won 14 of 18 games durings the regular season but hadn't defeated the Cougars since 1995, was determined to spoil the Cougars' opening playoff run at a national title defense. The Lancers, who had been outscored by Azusa Pacific, 36-0, in the past 6 meetings, quickly put 2 counters on the scoreboard, using goals by All-GSAC forward Courtney Firth to take a 2-1 lead less than 12 minutes into the game. Azusa Pacific had taken a 1-0 lead in the fifth minute on a header by junior All-GSAC forward Missy Myers (Lakewood, Calif./Valley Christian HS). However, Firth gave CBU life and hope with a goals from 15 and 25 yards out for the Lancers first points vs. Azusa Pacific since 1996.
The Cougars roared back, though, scoring 3 times in the final 6 minutes of the first half to assume a comfortable 4-2 cushion at the half. Junior Rachel Messick Chino Hills, Calif./Ontario Christian HS) tied the game at 2-2 with a header off a cross by Janay Duran (La Verne, Calif./Bonita HS) in the 39th minute. GSAC Player of the Year Kendra Payne La Verne, Calif./Bonita HS), who is also the conference's all-time scorer, then tapped in a loose ball in the box to put the Cougars up for good at 3-2 in the 43rd minute. A minute later, Duran and Messick hooked up again, this time with Duran scoring with a header off a cross from Messick.
Azusa Pacific, which is ranked No.3 in the NAIA, iced the game when Payne added her second goal of the game off a crossing pass from Messick in the 64th minute.
With the victory, the Cougars improve to 15-1-2 on the season. Cal Baptist's season closes at 14-5.
