TURLOCK, Calif. – Although it may just be the season opener, Azusa Pacific's 1-0 win over Stanislaus State on Thursday evening could pay dividends at the end of the season.

With the victory over the nation's 10th ranked team, Azusa Pacific has now put themselves in a conversation they were just on the outside of last season. Early season wins against NCAA west region opponents will count for a lot when selections are made for the NCAA regional championships in mid-November.

The win also leaves head coach Jason Surrell one victory shy of his 250th career win as the Cougars leader on the bench.

The win was made possible with Mayra Almazan's goal in the 34th minute. The senior took a feed from Mikaela Truckey and made a nice turn before beating the goal keeper. For Truckey it was her first career collegiate assist.

The regularly stout Cougars defense made the score stand-up. Despite getting six shots on goal during the contest, Sarah Klinkenberg denied each attempt. The junior has now been credited with 14.5 shutouts during her time in front of the cage. Dating back to last season, the Cougars have shut out nine of their last 10 opponents. In the final moments of the first half Klinkenberg stopped a penalty kick.

The boxscore shows that the game was tightly played. Stanislaus State had a slight edge in overall shots (9-8) and corner kicks (3-2). The loss for the Warriors is their first in a season opener since 1998.

Azusa Pacific will try and secure their second victory of the season on Saturday when they take on Cal State East Bay at 11:30 a.m. The game is hosted by Stanislaus State.