FRESNO, Calif. – No. 11 Fresno State was able to grab a large lead early, eventually beating Azusa Pacific 17-10.
 
With the Bulldogs up 3-0 in the first quarter, the Cougars scored their first goal of the game when Britni Tisdale found the back of the cage to make it 3-1 with 2:57 remaining in the first period. Fresno State would score four unanswered goals over the next four and a half minutes, giving the Bulldogs a 7-1 lead in the second period.
 
Azusa Pacific would cut into the deficit with a goal from Lauren Hoyle, and then Milena Guzmán Ortiz made the score 7-3 when she scored on a powerplay. Over the remainder of the second period, Fresno State would score two goals, while Hoyle added another goal to make it 8-4 at halftime.
 
The Bulldogs opened the third period with three unanswered goals to push the lead up to 11-4. Azusa Pacific scored three goals over the remainder of the third period, however, Fresno State also added three more goals to take a 15-7 lead into the fourth and final period.
 
In the fourth, the Bulldogs found the back of the cage on two more occasions, while the Cougars scored three goals.
 
Four Cougars had a multi-goal game, led by three from Guzmán Ortiz. Tisdale, Hoyle and Brianna Erickson each scored twice. Kyra Kahahawai added one goal for Azusa Pacific. Tisdale turned in a team-high three assists, and Sarah Adams added two. 
 
The Cougars are right back in the pool tomorrow in Fresno, as they will play two matches in the Fresno State Invitational. Their day begins at 10:00 am against Fresno Pacific, and then close out the weekend at 3:00 pm vs. Cal Lutheran.