AZUSA, Calif. – It took longer than expected owing to the lights literally going out, but the Cougars fell 2-0 to Concordia Thursday evening at the Cougar Soccer Complex.

How It Happened: The home team was on the back foot much of the evening, with Concordia owning an 8-5 advantage in shot attempts in the first half.  The Golden Eagles took the lead in the 25th minute when a shot from the left side of the six-yard box bounced in off a sliding Cougar defender.  Despite the deficit, Azusa Pacific goalkeeper Alexis Rodriguez made the most of his second career start, making six saves to keep the game close.

The Cougars' best chance of the contest came just after halftime. In the 50th minute, Gabriel Oropeza drove in on the right side of the box and his right-footed effort was deflected onto the post by the Golden Eagles' goalkeeper.  The ensuing counterattack by Concordia resulted in a second goal. 

In the 67th minute, as dusk had set in, the lights went out, forcing a roughly 30-minute delay in the contest.  While that allowed both sides an opportunity to regroup and strategize, any hope of a comeback effort was snuffed out by a red card in the 75th minute, forcing the Cougars to play the final quarter hour a man down. After 90 minutes of play, the game concluded in a 2-0 loss to the Golden Eagles.

By the Numbers: Oropeza was credited with seven of the Cougars' 15 shots in the contest, including two of their five that were on target.  The Cougars earned nine corner kicks in the game.  This was the second time this season that Concordia had beaten Azusa Pacific, and their first victory in Azusa since the 2011 Golden State Athletic Conference tournament semifinals.

Up Next:  Azusa Pacific (3-7-2, 2-3 PacWest) will continue their homestand against Fresno Pacific on Monday evening.  Kickoff at the Cougar Soccer Complex is scheduled for 5:00 p.m., and the game can be livestreamed HERE.