SAN RAFAEL, CALIF - Azusa Pacific used a pair of goals from Bethany Tee and Nora Oldmark to secure a 2-0 victory over Dominican to open their Bay Area trip. For the Cougars, this is the 9th win over the Penguins in the last 10 seasons that they have faced them on the pitch. "Proud of the players today - another shutout and two goals in the run of play." said head coach Brooke Lincoln. "It's rewarding to see some of the things you've worked on in training start to show up in a match... and it's exciting when your youngins are on the score sheet!"
How it Happened - The Cougars opened the first 45 minutes of play pressing on their attacking half and although Azusa Pacific only had two shots on goal in the first half, they came in a timely manner. Rilee Bradbury took advantage of a deflected ball off a Dominican player to set up Avery Guiel with a through ball where she took it all the way to the net with a shot that deflected off the crossbar and Tee was set up perfectly to put it between the posts.
Later in the half, Maddie Williams came up with a good save off a cross into the box from a corner kick on Dominicans only shot on goal in the first 45.
Azusa Pacific maintained control in the second half, continuing to press down field and create opportunities inside the box. In the 73rd minute, the ball came to the feet of Sierra Nickelberry, where she found Oldmark on the left side of the box and sent in a perfect pass for Oldmark to find the top right corner of the net that led to the first goal of her collegiate career and the Cougars taking a 2-0 advantage. This lead would hold for Azusa Pacific through the remainder of the match to pick up their first conference win of the 2022 season, improving their overall record to 4-2-3. "Dominican made it difficult for us today. We are going to enjoy this win tonight and regroup Friday to get ready for Academy of Art." said Lincoln.
By the Numbers: Five different players totaled seven shots on goal for Azusa Pacific, which is the most this season. Tee continues to lead the team with four goals, while Guiel picked up her second assist of the season. The Cougars defense posted their fifth clean sheet of the season and Williams boasts a SV% of .821 so far, having played all 90 minutes of every game in net.
Up Next: Azusa Pacific will continue play in the Bay Area when they face Academy of Art on Saturday, October 8th with kickoff set for 10:30 a.m. You can follow the live stats HERE.
