SANTA BARBARA, Calif. - Azusa Pacific split two games at the UCSB Mini Invite on Saturday, falling to nationally-ranked host UC Santa Barbara in the morning by a 16-8 score, but then coming back in the afternoon to beat Ottawa by a 22-6 score. Azusa Pacific is now 2-1 to start the season.
#12 UC Santa Barbara 16, Azusa Pacific 8
The Gauchos opened the game with four unanswered goals to go up 4-0 with just under five minutes on the clock in the opening period.
Laia Marsinach Ortega put the Cougars on the board for the first time with a power play goal with 1:54 to play in the first. With the score at 8-2 in the second quarter,
Kaelene De Bie and Maria Boix Pascual scored back-to-back goals for the Cougars to make it 8-4, but UC Santa Barbara would add one more goal before halftime. The Gauchos kept a comfortable lead over the remainder of the contest, out-scoring the Cougars by a 5-3 tally in the third, and a 2-1 advantage in the fourth.
Seven Cougars scored a goal in the game, led by two from
Mica Schiavone.
Rachel Ahumada had two assists and two steals.
Alex Airitam and
Daniela Herrero Miralles each played 16 minutes in goal for the Cougars, with each player registering six saves.
The Gauchos had 34 shots compared to 29 shots for the Cougars. Both teams struggled to take advantage of power play opportunities, with UC Santa Barbara going 2-for-7 while Azusa Pacific went 2-for-9. The Cougars missed both of their penalty shots, while the Gauchos converted two of their three attempts.
Azusa Pacific 22, Ottawa 6
Azusa Pacific wore out the nets in its second game of the day, putting 22 shots into the back of the cage.
Montana White led the Cougars with six goals and three assists, while
Alexandra Akritidou finished with four goals and
Maritza Ochoa and Schiavone each added three goals. Akritidou also had three steals in the contest. Herrero Miralles earned her second win of the season in goal, registering three saves over the first two periods of play, while Airitam had three saves over the third and fourth periods.
The Cougars scored the first four goals of the contest to take a 4-0 lead with 4:53 to play in the first. At the end of the opening period, Azusa Pacific was up 6-3. The Cougars would create plenty of separation in the second period, out-scoring Ottawa by a 6-1 margin to make it 12-4 at halftime. The Cougars would remain in full control over the final two periods, posting an 8-2 advantage in the third, and then adding three more goals in the fourth while holding the Spirit scoreless.
Azusa Pacific finished with a shooting percentage of nearly 60% at 22-for-37, while Ottawa went 6-for-18 (33%). Each team converted on one power play apiece, with Azusa Pacific going 1-for-3, while the Spirit were 1-for-7.
Up Next: Next week the Cougars will fly to Hawai'i, where they will play three games over two days at the Hawai'i Invitiational on Friday, January 26 and Saturday, January 27.
