AZUSA, Calif. -- Azusa Pacific continued its recent winning streak with a 3-1 victory over Academy of Art, wrapping up an impressive four-game homestand with its fourth consecutive win. The Cougars outscored opponents 9-1 over the four-game win streak as they ascended into second place in the Pacific West Conference standings.
Emmy Koflanovich assisted the first two goals and scored the third for the Cougars, who compiled a 19-3 advantage in total shots on the game.
Sophomore Randi Macadangdang scored her first goal of the season less than a minute into the game to give Azusa Pacific the early lead. Koflanovich found some space down the right flank and sent a ball across, and Macadangdang reached back with her right foot and volleyed it through traffic and into the back of the net.
The Cougars threatened plenty of times the rest of the half but the score stayed at 1-0 until early in the second half. In the 52nd minute, Koflanovich beat multiple defenders down the right sideline and got to the end line before sliding a ball across the middle for Kellie Yoshihara to finish off inside the right post for her second goal of the season.
Just three minutes later, Koflanovich teamed up with Kaylee Nicoll for a give-and-go at the top of the 18-yard box, and Koflanovich touched it to her left foot for a perfectly-placed shot that went off the post and into the net.
Academy of Art finally got on the scoreboard in the 74th minute when Anissa Wilson headed in a corner kick from Alice Michell to cut the lead to the eventual final score of 3-1.
With the win, Azusa Pacific now sits in second in the PacWest standings at 5-1-1 (16 points) with an overall record of 5-7-1. The Cougars are on the road for two games next week before finishing the season with two home games in the final week. Up next is a Wednesday, Oct. 24 visit to Concordia, followed by an Oct. 27 road game at Biola for a Cornerstone Cup matchup.
Sounds of the game:
"I kept telling our players to believe that the best was yet to come and that we just had to keep on keeping on. We had to keep focusing on doing the small things right and the results would eventually come. After a win or two, the players started to get confidence and belief starts happening. Confidence goes a long, long way, and that was the difference tonight." -- Head Coach Brooke Lincoln
"I saw Emmy going down the right sideline and when I saw the ball (coming in) I was thinking 'bike'. I got really confused and then I looked back and the ball was in the goal." -- Randi Macadangdang
"Coach has been drilling in our heads to take it down to the end line then slide a ball through; we've been able to do that, and it has been working. Coach has especially emphasized to the forwards to take defenders on, and if we lose it, we lose it, and we just have to have short-term memory. It's very helpful having a coach continue to encourage us to keep trying, which makes us more confident." -- Emmy Koflanovich
