Season Ends Again in NAIA Semis

ST. CHARLES, MO. – As if 120 minutes of soccer weren't enough, the NAIA's top-ranked and second-seeded Azusa Pacific and sixth-seeded Oklahoma City needed a penalty kick shootout to decide its fate.

After playing 120 minutes to a thrilling 2-2 draw in the first NAIA semifinal game of the night, the Stars out kicked the Cougars, 3-0, in the shootout to clinch a spot in the NAIA National Championship game tomorrow night.

This was the fourth straight Final Four appearance for the Cougars, and the third straight time the Cougars' season comes to a close in the semifinals.

OCU, making its first appearance in the title game, will face the winner of the second semifinal pitting top-seeded and second-ranked Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) and fifth-seeded Westmont College.

Deadlocked after the first half at 1-1, the Cougars seemed headed toward victory when senior All-American Chrissy Sanford tucked away her fifth goal of the tournament and 26^th of the season with just 13 minutes remaining.

Sanford's 26 goals this year sets the Azusa Pacific single-season goal scoring record formerly held by Kendra Payne who scored 25 last year.

However, with less than 4 minutes on the clock, Oklahoma City's Sally Cole found a seam in the Cougar defense and scored to force overtime.

The Cougars and Stars battled through the extra 30 minutes with neither team able to find the "golden goal," thus forcing the shootout.

Oklahoma City GK Amanda Loyall stopped all 3 Cougar attempts, while her teammates were able to sneak their first 3 shots past Cougar GK Melissa Strother for the difference.

The Stars are the first team all season to score 2 goals in a game against the Cougar rock-solid defense. In fact, OCU becomes the first non-NCAA Division I team (CS Fullerton scored 3 last season) to score more than one goal against the Cougars since Westmont defeated the Cougars 2-1 in the 1999 semifinals, a span of 2 years.

A pair of outgoing seniors hooked up to put the Cougars on the board first when GSAC Player of the Year Andrea Alfiler scored her second goal of the tournament off a feed from Kimber Carter just 16 minutes into the action.

The winningest team in the NAIA over the past 4 seasons, Azusa Pacific closes out another amazing campaign, which included a 17-game winning streak dating back to Aug. 25 and a school-record 9-game shutout streak. Along the way, the Cougars outscored opponents 72-7, including a 45-1 mark in GSAC play. Over the past 4 years, the Cougars are an impressive 77-7-7 (.885).

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Players Mentioned

#1 Melissa Strother: GK; 5' 10"; Sophomore

#7 Kimber Carter: F; 5' 9"; Senior

#9 Andrea Alfiler: M; 5' 7"; Senior

#13 Kendra Payne: F; 5' 5"; Senior

Players Mentioned

#1 Melissa Strother
: 5' 10"; Sophomore
: GK

#7 Kimber Carter
: 5' 9"; Senior
: F

#9 Andrea Alfiler
: 5' 7"; Senior
: M

#13 Kendra Payne
: 5' 5"; Senior
: F