HONOLULU, Hawai'i - Azusa Pacific was beaten by #5 Fresno State on Friday night, which was the first of three games for the Cougars at the Hawai'i Invitational. Azusa Pacific is now 2-2 on the season.

How It Happened: The Bulldogs kicked off the scoring early, scoring a pair of goals within the first minute of play. Montana White got the Cougars on the board with about five minutes to go in the first quarter, as she took advantage of the Cougars' first powerplay opportunity of the contest. The Bulldogs added three more goals in the opening period, while Maritza Ochoa found the back of the cage to make the score 5-2 entering the second.

Ochoa brought the Cougars within two goals at 5-3 on Azusa Pacific's second powerplay chance, but a pair of Fresno State goals within 40 seconds put the Bulldogs back in front by a 7-3 score. The Cougars would draw no closer than three goals for the remainder of the contest. At the break, Fresno Pacific held a 8-4 advantage.

The third quarter was the lowest scoring one of the match, with the two teams combining for just three goals. Maria Boix Pascual scored the lone Cougar goal in the third.

While the Cougars were able to score three goals in the fourth, the Bulldogs added four of their own to maintain the cushion and secure the win.

By the Numbers: Fresno Pacific took 31 shots in the game, while the Cougars finished with 24 chances. The Bulldogs were 3-for-5 on the powerplay, while Azusa Pacific started a perfect 2-for-2 in powerplays but finished 2-for-7. Maritza Ochoa finished with a team-high two goals for the Cougars, while also registering two assists and two steals. 

Up Next: The weekend will not get any easier for the Cougars, as a pair of top-10 opponents lie ahead tomorrow. At 12:00 pm HT (2:00 pm PT), the Cougars will take on the tournament host and fourth-ranked Hawai'i, and a few hours later at 4:30 pm HT (6:30 pm PT), #9 Princeton will be the opponent. Live stats can be followed on FOSH.