ATHERTON, Calif. – Azusa Pacific's Neyda Martinez converted an early first-half penalty kick to give the Cougars a narrow win against Menlo and keep their postseason hopes alive.

"Today wasn't our best showing but we got the job done to keep our playoff hopes alive, " head coach Brooke Lincoln commented on the team's performance. "We didn't play to our standard today. We will take three points on the road, but we have to bring more focus and better execution moving forward."

How it Happened: Azusa Pacific's breakthrough came in the 8th minute when Jaci Maze drew a penalty after being tripped by a Menlo defender inside the box. Neyda Martinez stepped up and calmly converted the penalty kick for her second goal of the season, putting the Cougars up 1-0.

The Cougars pressed forward throughout the rest of the first half, firing off eight shots while limiting Menlo to just two. However, they couldn't extend the lead. The second half saw similar action, with Azusa Pacific adding nine more shots and the Oaks responding with four. Neither team could find the back of the net again, though the game took on a more physical tone. Tensions flared as two Cougars received yellow cards, and a Menlo player picked up a caution of its own.

Despite the physicality, the Cougars kept their composure, preserving the one-goal advantage to the final whistle. Though they created enough chances to have won by a wider margin, the single goal from Martinez proved enough. 

By the Numbers: With this victory, Azusa Pacific (10-3-1) moves up to fifth in the conference standings, while Menlo (3-10-2) remains in 13th. The Cougars tallied 20 total shots across 90 minutes, while Menlo only saw six. The Cougars relied heavily on their bench, playing eight non-starters, six of them playing at least a third of the match. 

Up Next: The Cougars will head to San Francisco to face Academy of Art in their second-to-last regular season match on Monday, Nov. 4. Kickoff is scheduled at 1:30 p.m.