AZUSA, Calif. –- If ties are ever good, this one is.
Most people can't stand them, but Azusa Pacific head coach Jason Surrell will take it. Despite generating more scoring chances and being less than 15 minutes away from victory, the NAIA's No. 2-ranked Azusa Pacific had to settle for a 1-1 tie with No. 1 Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) in a non-conference soccer match between the top 2 teams in the NAIA in Azusa.
With the tie, Azusa Pacific remains unbeaten and moves to 4-0-1. Lindsey Wilson is now 5-0-1.
"You never like to tie, but this was definitely a good gauge to see where we're at," said Surrell, who is Azusa Pacific's all-time winningest coach with 69 wins. "I thought it was a very evenly played match. We may have generated a few more scoring chances, but this was a well played game on both sides."
It took the teams nearly an entire half to feel each other out and get settled. They combined for just 6 shots in the first 45 minutes but none were significantly threatening.
Then in the second half, Azusa Pacific, which now owns the NAIA's longest active streak in the Top 10 at 57 straight weeks, began to assert itself on the offensive end. In the 77th minute, All-GSAC Shannon Coe collected a ball on the left flank nearly 30 yards from the goal. She took one dribble towards the sideline, and then cut back to the middle beating her defender. After 2 touches, she rifled a magical shot to the far right corner, past a diving Debbie McGuinness and into the upper corner of the net for a 1-0 Cougar lead.
After three quarters of the game with no score, it seemed as if that would be all the Cougars would need. Not so.
Just 4 minutes after Coe's fifth goal of the season, the Blue Raiders found the equalizer. Vicky Whitelaw carried the ball down the right sideline in front of her team's bench. She lifted an arching ball into the box that Jill Lirbank-Almbaek headed over the outstretched arms of a helpless Cougar GK Jill Colfer and into the net to tie the game.
The goal is the first that Azusa Pacific has allowed in 4-plus games this season, snapping the Cougars shutout streak at exactly 444 minutes.
"There was nothing Jill could do on that goal," said Surrell. "It was a great score. She played pretty well in goal against a very good team. She's just a freshman, so we wanted to see what she could do against the No. 1 team in the nation and she stepped up to the challenge."
Both teams had a few stellar scoring chances in the final 10 minutes but neither team was able to capitalize thus forcing overtime. It was the Cougars' second overtime of the season.
The Cougars had the best chances of the overtime period both coming in the final 3 minutes. Jolie Nitta collected a loose ball at the top of the box off a Cougar corner kick and slid a ball toward the far post, but McGinness rose to the challenge to make the nice safe. Then in the closing seconds, Randie Massro cleaned up a mess and sent a ball to the goal that deflected off a Blue Raider defender and over McGuinness but also over the crossbar.
The Cougars out-shot Lindsey Wilson 14-10 for the game, including a 4-2 tally in overtime. Colfer made 3 saves in goal. McGuinnes made 4.
