SANTA BARBARA, Calif. -- The Cougars concluded their opening weekend at the UC Santa Barbara Winter Invitational with a pair of contests.

Azusa Pacific dropped a tough one in the morning to UC San Diego before competing against the Chinese National Team in an exhibition contest in the afternoon.

In the three games that count for NCAA purposes the Cougars outscored the opposition 30-28 during the two-day event. 

No. 16 UC San Diego 9, Azusa Pacific 8

Scoresheet (PDF)

After rallying from an early deficit Azusa Pacific held a one-goal lead early in the fourth quarter only to suffering a heart-retching set-back.

Sarah Adams scored the game's first goal but the Tritons responded with four unanswered goals. Azusa Pacific responded nicely to their three-goal deficit. Mar Pastor, Britni Tisdale and Hannah Bradley found the back of the cage to knot the score at 4-4.  A Sydney Boland goal with just a few ticks left on the clock late in the second frame gave the Tritons a 5-4 edge at intermission. 

Each team found the back of the net twice in the third stanza as UC San Diego continued to hold a lead heading into the final eight minutes. Just 40 seconds into the last quarter Pastor tied the contest at 7-7 with her second goal of the game. With 5:57 left in the game Azusa Pacific took the lead when Britt Harris fired the ball into the back of the net. 

UC San Diego tied the score at 8-8 when Shelby Stender scored with just over three minutes remaining. Each team had an extra-person attack opportunity with just under two minutes left but neither could score. Ciara Franke scored the game winner on the Triton's second 6-on-5 chance late with 53 seconds left. 
 

	1	2	3	4	FINAL
Azusa Pacific	1	3	2	2	8
UCSD	4	1	2	2	9

GOALS: Pastor (2), Tisdale (2), Adams, Tutusaus Alcaraz, Bradley, Harris
SAVES: N/A

Chinese National Team 18, Azusa Pacific 7 (exhibition)

Scoresheet (PDF)

Britni Tisdale found the back of the cage twice as the Cougars competed against the best players China has to offer. 

The freshman led the way with a team high six shots while Britt Harris and Hannah Bradley fired off four. Each player scored a goal in the contest.
 

	1	2	3	4	FINAL
Azusa Pacific	0	3	2	2	7
Chinese NT	3	6	5	4	18

GOALS: Tisdale (2), Harris, Pastor, Batcheller, Bradley, Yeo
SAVES: N/A