AZUSA, Calif. -- Azusa Pacific sent its seniors out in the best way possible; with an 11-9 win over #25 California Baptist for the Cougars' 17^th win of the season, which sets a new program record for wins in a season. Previously, the Cougars had won 16 games twice, in 2014 and 2018. Both of those teams were coached by current Azusa Pacific head coach Julie Snodgrass. The game marked the final regular season home game for six Cougar seniors, as Marissa Joerke, Mar Pastor Alvarez, Anna Batcheller, Carinna Prince, Jordan Hummingbird, and Arianne Yeo all played their last regular season game of their careers.
 
Azusa Pacific jumped out to an earlier lead, as the Cougars were able to score five goals in the first period. While Cal Baptist scored first with a powerplay goal with 6:39 left in the first period, Azusa Pacific scored three unanswered goals to go up 3-1 with 4:14 left in the first period. All three of the Cougars' goals in the 3-0 stretch came from seniors, as Annalise Batcheller scored the first and third goal, while Mar Pastor Alvarez scored the second. Cal Baptist would score two more in the third period, while Azusa Pacific junior Mireia Tutusaus Alcaraz and sophomore Hannah Bradley each scored a goal to close out the first and give Azusa Pacific the 5-3 lead.
 
The Lancers tied the game at 5-5 to start the second period, with a goal at the 6:19 mark in the second, and a powerplay goal with 5:42 remaining before halftime. The Cougars would seize momentum back heading into halftime, as Azusa Pacific scored three unanswered goals to close out the second period, as Bradley scored a goal of a five-meter penalty shot at the 5:20 mark, and converted a powerplay goal at the 3:20 mark, while Tutusaus Alcaraz scored her second goal of the game at 2:34 left before halftime. Azusa Pacific entered halftime with an 8-5 lead.
 
Cal Baptist cut the Cougar lead down to 8-6 to start the third period, as the Lancers scored just a little over a minute into second half action. Azusa Pacific would respond and extend the lead back up to three goals at 9-6, as Tutusaus Alcaraz scored her third goal of the game off of a five-meter penalty shot, with 6:08 remaining in the third. Over the final six minutes of play in the period, the only goal came from the Lancers, as Cal Baptist scored with 2:56 left in the third period, trimming Azusa Pacific's lead down to 9-7.
 
In the fourth and final period, Cal Baptist opened with the first goal about a minute and a half in. The 9-8 score would remain briefly, as Batcheller scored her third goal of the day for the Cougars and pushed Azusa Pacific's lead up to 10-8 with 5:43 remaining in the fourth period. The Cougars would increase the lead to 11-8 with 3:50 remaining in regulation, when freshman Milena Guzmán Ortiz found the back of the net. The Lancers would score one more goal with just 11 seconds left in the game, which made the score 11-9.
 
Bradley, Batcheller and Tutusaus Alcaraz each finished with three goals in the game, while junior Sarah Adams had a game-high three assists for the Cougars. Sophomore Olivia Lott had a dominating performance for the Cougars in goal, as she finished with a career-high 15 saves. It is the seventh time this season that Lott has finished a game with 10 or more saves.
 
Up Next: Azusa Pacific closed out the 2019 regular season with a 17-13 overall record, and a 4-3 GCC record. Up next for the Cougars is the Golden Coast Conference tournament, which will take place in Stockton, California, with the first round beginning on Thursday, April 25, and the championship on Sunday, April 28. Azusa Pacific will await its first-round matchup until Saturday night, as there are other GCC games set to take place on Friday (April 19) and Saturday (April 20) that will have an impact on the Cougars' seed.