AZUSA, Calif. -- Playoff soccer found its way back to Azusa for the second year in a row as the top-seeded Cougars hosted the eighth-seeded Colorado School of Mines. However, Azusa Pacific could not find their way past the formidable Oredigger back line in the second half and fell to Colorado School of Mines 2-1 in the second round of Super Region 4 of the 2019 NCAA DII Men's Soccer Tournament.

"It was a tight game," said head coach Dave Blomquist, "And when you get to the postseason, that is what you expect. I'm really proud of our guys, I think they gave it everything and kept going until the end. But also, credit to Colorado School of Mines. They defended really well. We haven't seen team defending like that in a long time."

The match got off to a flying start, when Colorado School of Mines' Lucas King found Baptiste Debuire, who in turn found the back of the net, in the second minute for a 1-0 lead. The Cougars grabbed a goal back in the fifth minute, though, when David Kwinn's headed pass found James Ndubueze inside the 18 yard box. Ndubueze turned and fired a shot to the far post to tie the match at 1-1.

The Orediggers were not done, however, and in the 29th minute, Jason Zobott's header off of a set piece from Ford Edwards gave Colorado School of Mines a 2-1 lead. It was a lead that they would hold on to for the rest of the match.

"I think that is just soccer in general," said Arturo Astorga. "Sometimes you just run into teams that know how to stay really compact and know how to shut teams down. It was frustrating how compact they were, and sometimes that is just how soccer is."

Azusa Pacific out-shot the eighth-seeded Orediggers 22-6 with seven shots on goal. Of the Orediggers' six shots, two were on goal and both of those ended up in the back of the net.

With the loss, Azusa Pacific's season comes to an end and the Cougars finish with an 18-1 record on the year. The Cougars were the first team in PacWest history to finish a regular season undefeated. James Ndubueze totaled 18 goals on the season, David Kwinn finished with 13 goals, and Arturo Astorga netted 10 goals along with 11 assists.

"When we started the season, we tried not to have any expectations and stay humble," said Bruno Pagani. "We knew that we had to put in the work to get the results we wanted. If I had to make an assessment of this year and this team, I'd say it was a once in a lifetime thing. I am forever grateful for this school and this program which have allowed me to grow not only as a player but as a person as well."

While Azusa Pacific's season comes to an end, the Orediggers advance to the third round, as they await the winner of Cal Poly Pomona vs Cal State San Bernardino. To view the updated NCAA Tournament bracket, please click HERE.

POSTGAME PRESS CONFERENCE: