AZUSA, Calif. - Azusa Pacific men's soccer earned its first victory of the season, battling to a 3-2 victory over Stanislaus State on home turf tonight. Gabriel Oropeza, Shane Eaton and Issaka Salifu all found the back of the net in the victory, while Oropeza also picked up an assist. 

"I think we had steps of growth tonight." said head coach Dave Blomquist. "The guys have been working hard in training and every game has been a little bit better." Blomquist continued, "We did some really good stuff tonight and I think we can always improve on what we do with the ball and how we're defending."

How it Happened: Stanislaus State got ahead in the early minutes of the game to take a 1-0 advantage, but Azusa Pacific responded in the 34th minute when Oropeza found the back of the net for the first goal of his Cougar career. The game stayed knotted at one a piece heading into the second half. 

To open the last half, the Cougars stayed aggressive and pressed on their attacking half, collecting two shots that just missed the posts before the Cougars found a golden opportunity. Eaton found the ball near the top of the box and sent the it in the low left corner of the net to give Azusa Pacific its first lead of the game. 

The scoring for the Cougars did not stop there, when ten minutes later, Salifu sent a ball sailing past the leaping Warriors goalie off a set piece to give Azusa Pacific a 3-1 advantage. 

In the 75th minute, Stanislaus State responded with a goal off their own set piece, but the Cougars back line stayed composed, finding clearance when the Warriors pressed offensively. After 90 minutes, Azusa Pacific completed the 3-2 victory over Stanislaus State, earning its first victory of the year. 

By the Numbers: The Cougars had 18 shots compared to Stanislaus States 10, while also having nine on goal, compared to the Warriors five. Azusa Pacific also had six corner kicks and Leo Moreno came up with three saves. Five different Cougars saw the full 90 minutes of action on the pitch tonight, while Blomquist utilized four players off his bench. 

Up Next: Azusa Pacific will be back in action when they travel to #4 Cal State Los Angeles on Tuesday, September 12th. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. and you can watch HERE.

AZUSA PACIFIC MEN'S SOCCER POSTGAME INTERVIEW: GABRIEL OROPEZA & MUSA YANSANEH