AZUSA, CALIF - Azusa Pacific welcomed Concordia on Friday evening for the first game of PacWest play. After 90 minutes of play, the game ended in a deadlock 0-0. It was a tight contest that saw the Cougars dominate possession over the Golden Eagles for the majority of the game. The Cougars were unfortunate to not start off PacWest play with a victory, but it was a positive performance coming off their last loss to Point Loma.

How It Happened: The Golden Eagles and Head Coach Chris Gould were coming off two strong wins against Point Loma and Biola and Head Coach for the Cougars, Brooke Lincoln applauded her team by saying, "I'm really proud of the way the girls played tonight coming off the loss against Point Loma." 

Azusa Pacific started off with a promising high press that forced Concordia into their own half for much of the first half. After just five minutes gone there was an apparent handball seen in the box, but no penalty was awarded. The Golden Eagles didn't show many signs of finding a goal in the first half and it was the Cougars backline that stunted any forward play from the Golden Eagles attackers. Concordia was just able to get off one shot in the first 45, but the Cougars were unable to get ahead before the break. 

In the second half, play opened up a lot more between both sides but it was the Cougars who continued to dominate. The formation and backline stayed sharp by forcing the attackers of Concordia offsides several times. After a couple of key saves from Goalkeeper Maddie Williams, the game remained at a deadlock. 
It appeared that there was yet another foul in the box not given when Nora Oldmark was shouldered off the ball, although the Cougars kept their composure and stayed on the front foot with great attacking opportunities led by Bethany Tee and Avery Guiel. After 90 minutes, the game ended in a tight 0-0 draw. The Cougars will now head on the road for the next three games, with all three being very important for PacWest standings. 

By the Numbers: The Cougars collected six shots on goal compared to the Golden Eagles three, and Azusa Pacific held Concordia to no score, which was only the second time this season that the Golden Eagles did not put a ball in the back of the net. The win improves the all-time record over Concordia to 22-7-1 and 13-3-1 on home turf. Five different Cougars had shots on goal in the match, with Guiel having two. 

Up Next: The Cougars continue their PacWest schedule with a road trip to the Bay Area to face Dominican on October 6th and Academy of Art on October 8th.