SANTA BARBARA, Calif. -- The Azusa Pacific women's water polo team got its 2020 season underway Friday at the UC Santa Barbara Winter Invitational with a nail-biting fallout against Cal State Northridge, 7-6,  and an impressive 24-8 victory against Ottawa. 

"We were able to see some good building blocks today. We have a good idea of what we have and where we will go from here. It was good to see how the new additions to the team gelled together."-- Head Coach Julie Snodgrass

Game One Recap: Cal State Northridge 7, Azusa Pacific 6
Leading in the first match of the season for the Cougars was sophomore Milena Guzman Ortiz who tallied in three goals in the opening match against Cal State Northridge. Guzman Ortiz showed strengths in the first and second period by extending the Cougar's lead 5-3 before heading into the half with back-to-back goals. Other Cougars who showed strong play in the first match were Sarah Adams who finished with two goals, and Mireia Tutusaus Alcaraz who tallied in one goal.   

Both teams went back and forth throughout the first quarter with the Matadors scoring the first goal to take an early advantage over the Cougars. At the five minute marker, Azusa Pacific's Sarah Adams brought back momentum to the Cougars side with a goal to tie the score 1-1. Mireia Tutusaus Alcaraz extended Azusa Pacific's lead shortly after at the 4:15 mark with a strike to advance the lead 2-1. Cal State Northridge never gave in and responded with another goal to tie the score at the 2:50 mark, but Adams picked up her second goal to take back the lead for the Cougars before Guzman Ortiz followed up thirty seconds later with an additional goal to extend Azusa Pacific's lead 4-2. The Matadors would then look to score a final goal at the end of the period to close in the Cougar's lead 4-3 to wrap up the first period. 

In the second period, Guzman Ortiz collected her second goal of the match and the only goal of the frame before entering halftime leading 5-3. Momentum would not stay with the Cougars for long, as Cal State Northridge scored four goals beffore the end of the third period, while surrendering just one goal. Heading into the final period, the Matadors held a 7-6 lead over the Cougars and ultimately hung on for the victory.  

Game Two Recap: Azusa Pacific 24, Ottawa 8
In the second match of the afternoon, the Cougars showed strong play all around, as thirteen Cougars tallied in points offensively. Leading for Azusa Pacific was sophomore Milena Guzman Ortiz, who scored a team-high five goals while junior Britni Tisdale followed right behind with four goals.

After senior Mireia Tutusaus Alcaraz scored the first goal of the match, the Azusa Pacific offense exploded. The Cougars opened up with three straight goals before Ottawa was able to puts point on the board. The offensive exploits continued throughout the first half as Azusa Pacific scored 11 more goals, led by Ortiz with three goals and Tisdale with two goals to head into the intermission with a 14-5 lead.

Heading into the third period, Ottawa jumped out with back-to-back goals before the Cougars responded with three straight goals, in which two of those goals were from Tisdale. Azusa Pacific never looked back over the remainder of the match and continued to dominate throughout the final eight minutes, holding the  Spirit scoreless, while adding seven more goals to their side of the scoreboard. 

What's Next: 
The Cougars, now 1-1 on the season will travel to the Long Beach Mini in Long Beach, Calif., with two matches on Saturday, Jan. 25. Azusa Pacific will look to take on Cal State Northridge again in the opening match at 9:45 a.m. before facing Long Beach State at 2:00 p.m.