GLENDORA, Calif. - Azusa Pacific earned its first conference win of the season on Saturday morning, as the Cougars beat Santa Clara by a 13-8 final at Citrus College. The Cougars are now 12-7 overall (1-1 GCC), and have won eight of their last nine matches. 

Skylar Ford delivered a great performance on both ends of the pool for the Cougars, as she scored a team-high four goals and tallied three blocks and two steals defensively. Maritza Ochoa finished with three goals, an assist and two steals. Kyra Kahahawai scored a goal, dished out two assists, and finished with three blocks. Kaelene De Bie and Maria Boix Pascual each added two goals. In goal, Daniela Herrero Miralles returned from injury, and she racked up 14 saves to earn the win.

How It Happened: De Bie opened the scoring just 20 seconds into the contest, but less than 30 seconds later, the Broncos responded with their first goal. The two teams played it close in the first, with the Cougars holding a slim 4-3 advantage into the second.

In the second period, Azusa Pacific locked down Santa Clara's offense, allowing just one goal by the Broncos with about two and a half minutes to play before halftime. Offensively, the Cougars found the back of the cage four times in the second, led by two from Ochoa, which sent the hosts into the break with an 8-4 lead. 

Out of the break, the Cougars extended their lead to 10-4, with consecutive goals from Skylar Ford at 7:23 and 6:35. Meanwhile, the Azusa Pacific defense continued to handle the Broncos' offense, with Santa Clara only scoring one goal for the second consecutive quarter. Ochoa added the Cougars' third goal in the period with just under three minutes to play, and the score was 12-5 Cougars heading into the final eight minutes of action.

The fourth period was the only quarter in which Santa Clara outscored the Cougars, but the Broncos' slim 3-2 advantage was far too little, too late.

By the Numbers: Azusa Pacific finished 13-for-31 for a .419 shooting percentage, while Santa Clara was 8-for-36 (.222). Both teams struggled on their powerplay opportunities, as the Broncos were 0-for-8, while the Cougars went 1-for-11. The goals keep on coming for the Cougars, as they increased their streak of 10 or more goals to eight matches, and over those eight matches, they are averaging 16 goals per game. 

Up Next: The Cougars will be back in the pool on Tuesday, when they host GCC opponent Concordia at 3:00 pm at Citrus College.