In the second day of the UC Santa Barbara Winter Invitational, Azusa Pacific defeated #14 Wagner, 7-5, and then lost its second game of the day against #15 UC San Diego, 13-5. The Cougars' defeat of Wagner is the third time in program history that Azusa Pacific has knocked off a top-25 opponent.
 
Azusa Pacific 7, #14 Wagner 5
 
The Cougars first win of 2019 required a comeback effort, as Wagner took a 5-2 lead into the fourth period, before Azusa Pacific answered by scoring five goals in the final eight minutes.
 
Wagner scored the first goal of the game with 2:40 left in the first period. Less than 30 seconds later, Azusa Pacific senior Annalise Batcheller scored her second goal of the season, tying the match at 1-1. Wagner took the lead back with seven seconds remaining in the first period, as Sofia Alvarez scored for the Seahawks.
 
Wagner struck twice to open the second period, scoring two goals less than 30 seconds apart. Cougar sophomore Britni Tisdale slowed the Seahawks' momentum down for a moment, as she found the back of the net for her first goal of the season, with 5:35 left before halftime. Wagner added one more goal in the opening half, scoring with a little over two minutes left in the second period.
 
The third period proved to be a defensive battle, as the two teams went scoreless heading into the final eight minutes of the match. Azusa Pacific's offense was gearing up for a grand finale.
 
The Cougars scored five goals in the final period to take their first lead of the game, as well as secure the first win of 2019. Junior Mirei Tutusaus Alcaraz sparked Azusa Pacific in the fourth period, as she scored her third goal of the season with 5:55 left in the game, trimming the Wagner lead to 5-3. Junior Sarah Adams brought the Cougars even closer, as she scored a goal with 3:12 left in the match, cutting the lead to 5-4. A little over a minute later, Azusa Pacific tied the game at 5-5, when Mar Pastor Alvarez scored her third goal of the season, with just 2:04 left. The Cougars took their first lead of the game at 6-5, when Tutusaus Alcaraz scored her second goal of the period with one minute left. Tutusaus Alcaraz added a third goal just 23 seconds later, grabbing a 7-5 lead with 00:37 seconds in the match.
 
#15 UC San Diego 13, Azusa Pacific 5
 
While the Cougars held the lead about half-way through the second period, UC San Diego would put Azusa Pacific away, scoring 11 unanswered goals over the remainder of the match.
 
Azusa Pacific held a lead as big as 5-2 in the first half, when freshman Lauren Hoyle scored a goal with 5:23 left in the second period. Senior Arianne Yeo, Adams, Tisdale, and Tutusaus Alcaraz all scored one goal apiece in the first half.
 
Hoyle's second period goal would prove to be the Cougars' last of the match, as UC San Diego responded quickly, taking a 6-5 lead into halftime. The Tritons then added seven more over the final 16 minutes to secure the win.
Up Next
 
The Cougars, who are 1-3 on the young season, will travel to Riverside, Calif. for two matches on Saturday, Jan. 26. Azusa Pacific will open with Pomona-Pitzer at 9:00 a.m., followed by a meeting with #6 UC Irvine at 4:30 p.m. Both matches are a part of the CBU Mini Invitational, and will take place on the campus of California Baptist University.