RIVERSIDE, Calif. -- Andriy Budnyy hammered home a penalty kick in the 106th minute for his second goal of the game to lift the NAIA's No. 3-ranked Azusa Pacific to a 2-1 double-overtime GSAC win at California Baptist Tuesday.
With the win, the Cougars move to 11-0-1 overall, 5-0 GSAC. The Lancers fall to 4-5-1 overall, 2-3 GSAC.
Although the Cougars out-shot the Lancers, 17-7, including 9-1 in overtime, the Lancers neutralized the Cougars' high-octane offense and gave them a handful, nearly hanging on for a tie. With less than 5 minutes remaining in the second overtime, Cal Baptist keeper Justin Nitti took down Ian Leibbrandt from behind just inside the box, awarding the Cougars a penalty kick. Budnyy stepped up and fired a rocket to Nitti's left and into the net for the game winner.
It was the second game the Cougars won in overtime since GSAC play began 3 weeks ago. The Cougars knocked off Concordia 2-1 on Sept. 30.
Azusa Pacific appeared to be headed for a win in regulation when Budnyy found himself on the receiving end of a Brandon Stirm corner kick to give the Cougars a 1-0 lead. Stirm lifted a low ball to the near post that Budnyy ran onto and headed past Nitti in the 48th minute. Bundyy has scored 11 goals in just 7 games this year.
The Lancers had just 7 shots in the match, 5 of them coming in the first half. But the one they did get in the second half was a big one. Seidu Ajanako headed a pass to Fraser Kershaw, one one-touched it to beat his defender to the left. Two more touches and Kershaw snuck around a diving Julian Cottrell and then placed the ball into the open net for the equalizer in the 73rd minute.
Cottrell made 4 saves to get his second straight win in net.
The Cougars host Vanguard Saturday at 4 p.m. on Azusa Square in a match featuring the only 2 unbeaten teams in GSAC play.