AZUSA, Calif. -- They're ba-ack.
Since 1998, Azusa Pacific has been an NAIA power, advancing to 6 straight NAIA Quarterfinals and currently the holder of the NAIA's longest streak in the Top 25 at 74 weeks. Yet, for the past 2 seasons, the Cougars have come up short in the regional tournament.
This year's story, though, has a different ending.
Stephanie Bays and Shannon Coe hooked up 2 times, once in each half, to lift the NAIA's No. 5-ranked Cougars to an impressive, 2-0, win over No. 12 Notre Dame de Namur to claim the 2004 NAIA Region II Women's Soccer title for the first time since 2001.
With the win, the top-seed Cougars improve to 15-1-1 and earn the region's automatic berth into next week's NAIA Women's Soccer Tournament. The second-seed Argonauts drop to 16-2-3, suffering their first defeat in 18 games and now must wait to see if they will earn one of 6 at-large berths.
It is the third time in 4 seasons that Azusa Pacific knocked off Notre Dame in the regional tournament beating them in the semifinals in 2001 and 2002.
"We looked at our game after last year's quarterfinal loss at the national tournament and realized we need to do something a little different to stop some of these teams," said Azusa Pacific head coach Jason Surrell. "Our defensive scheme that we've used this year has been great for us. We can plug different kids in there and they understand it, and that's what has worked for us all year. Megan (Cardin) and Kelly (Goudge) have been solid all year, and today Lauren (Skelte) and Julie (Fletcher) played great back there. This is the best region in the NAIA so to win it is great."
The Cougars dominated from the outset, making a solid Notre Dame squad that beat GSAC champion Biola 1-0 in Saturday's semifinals look bad. They had their way for all 90 minutes, out-shooting the Argonauts, 21-5, including an 11-1 mark in the first half.
Notre Dame mustered just one significant scoring threat in the 29th minute when Amber Davidson's header off a service from a free kick went straight to Cougar keeper Tiffany Mitchell, who started in place of Jill Colfer, who was out with the flu. It was one of Mitchell's 2 saves as she posted the Cougars' 11th shutout of the season in her first action since a 5-0 win over Grand Canyon on Sept. 11.
Just 2 minutes after Mitchell's save, the Cougars broke through on their seventh shot. In the 31st minute, Coe sent a cross that went through a crowd of defenders. Bays cleaned up the mess and sent her shot through Argo GK Candice Schrodetzki's legs and into the net for a 1-0 Cougar lead.
"Working up top with Shannon is amazing because we connect so well together and always seem to find each other," said Bays, who last week became just the second Cougar to earn 4 straight All-GSAC awards. "I held off my run until I saw that she was ready to pass it in at which point I cut into the box. I was able to get a foot on it and it went in. We had tons of opportunities in this game and just couldn't finish. We dominated play though. This team never gives up no matter what happens. It's amazing to be a part of it."
That score stood to halftime, and the Cougars continued their onslaught in the second frame where they out-shot the Argos, 10-4.
In the 67th minute, the Cougars put the game away when this time Bays found Coe. Bays carried the ball to the end line, cut back up field and sent an arching cross into the box that Coe headed over Schrodetzki and to the far post for her 13th of the season.
"Being up there together we play off each other well and try to find each other," said Coe.
The Cougars nearly scored again in the 82nd minute when Mari Kasamoto and Kelly Goudge had a pretty 1-2 combination that Goudge hammered but right to Schrodetzki, who made one of her 8 saves.
Up next for the Cougars is their seventh straight trip to the NAIA Tournament in Santa Barbara, Calif. They will likely be a top 4 seed, which means they will begin play Thursday (Nov. 18) and should they win, they would get a day off before the quarterfinals on Saturday. The 21st annual tournament is hosted by Westmont and begins Wednesday (Nov. 17) with 4 play-in games.
"We believe that we can win this whole thing," said Coe. "A lot of people say that because of our injuries we can't do it. But our team chemistry is great, and we believe in each other, and we believe that together we can do it."
