GLENDORA, Calif. - Entering Thursday's game, Azusa Pacific was 0-16 all-time against the Pacific Tigers, with at least one loss in every season since the two team's first meeting in 2012. History was made this afternoon, as the Cougars not only earned their first-ever win over the #17 Tigers, but they did so in dominant fashion, earning a 14-8 victory. Azusa Pacific is now 9-7 overall, and are an even 1-1 in Golden Coast Conference play.
Alexandra Akritidou and
Laia Marsinach Ortega led the Cougar attack, with each scoring three goals, while Akritidou also dished out three assists.
Kaelene De Bie and
Montana White each added two goals, while White,
Skylar Ford and Maria Boix Pascual each tallied two assists. Defensively,
Rachel Ahumada finished with three steals.
Alex Airitam turned in an outstanding performance for Azusa Pacific between the posts, and she racked up 10 saves and had two steals to earn the win.
"Our game today was a well-rounded team win, one we have been working very hard towards accomplishing all season," said head coach Priscilla Gomez, "It was great to see how the team played for each other the entire game, and how they displayed their best effotrs to keep total control of the game as a team."
How It Happened: The Cougars opened with four unanswered goals over the first five minutes of play, and the hosts held a 4-2 advantage heading into the second. The Cougars pushed the lead up to 7-2 with three consecutive goals, and the halftime tally showed an 8-3 contest.
The third quarter was the most productive offensive one for the Tigers, as they scored three goals, but Azusa Pacific added four on the other end to keep Pacific at a comfortable distance. In the fourth quarter, both teams added two goals over the final eight minutes.
From the outset, the Cougars were in control of the game, as they maintained a constant offensive attack and stifled the Tiger offense. Pacific was only able to string together multiple unanswered goals twice, and the Tigers never scored more than two unanswered. For seven of the goals scored for the Tigers, Azusa Pacific answered by scoring within 40 seconds or less.
By the Numbers: Azusa Pacific finished 14-for-26 shooting (.538), while the Tigers were just 8-for-27 (.296). The Cougars were called for 11 exclusions, while Pacific went 5-for-11 on power plays, while the Tigers were called for six exclusions, while Azusa Pacific finished 2-for-6 in advantage situations.
Prior to today's win, the Cougars' smallest margin of defeat was four, which occurred in the first round of the GCC tournament last season. Pacific had never scored fewer than 10 goals against the Cougars, while Azusa Pacific had only scored double-digits goals once.
Azusa Pacific has won seven of its last nine games, and the Cougars are averaging nearly 15 goals per game (14.6). Defensively, opponents are averaging just 6.5 goals per game.
Up Next: The Cougars will play four games in two days this weekend, as they are set to play in the Claremont Convergence tournament, starting tomorrow (Fri., March 1). The Cougars open the weekend with a matchup against La Verne at 2:00 pm in Whittier.
