AZUSA, Calif. – Victory number two on the season proved a much shorter wait than victory number one, as Azusa Pacific put together their first win streak of 2025 with a 2-1 triumph over Fresno Pacific Saturday evening inside the Cougar Soccer Complex.
The opening 45 minutes came and went without any impact on the scoreboard. While the Cougars took seven shots to the Sunbirds' three in the first half, the visitors notched the only attempt that forced either goalkeeper into action, with Alexis Rodriguez making a single save right around the midway point of the half.
Turns out both teams were saving their offensive prowess for after the intermission. It took the Cougars less than two minutes of the second half to find the back of the net. A long chip toward the top of the Sunbirds box was knocked down by Leke Ademola to Kaleb Abara. Abara then threaded a pass through to Andrew Gomez, who dribbled once and then snuck a right-footed effort past the keeper, scoring his first goal of the season and putting the home side up 1-0.
In the 65th minute, Steven Alvarenga got the ball on the left wing and dribbled into the box near the end line. His centering pass rolled along the ground to Luis Solis, whose one-timer beat the keeper in the upper left corner to double the Cougars' advantage. That insurance goal would come in handy, as the Sunbirds were able to pull one back on a beautiful counterattack eight minutes later. The Cougar defense was scrambling for much of the remaining time, but were able to do enough to hold off the late-charging Sunbird offense.
By the Numbers: The Cougars had a narrow 11-10 advantage in shot attempts for the night, with each team putting three tries on target. Rodriguez had a pair of saves in net to earn his second win in three days. Solis' game-winner was his 4th goal of the season and the 9th of his career. The physical contest saw the teams combine for 31 fouls and 5 yellow cards. The win gives the Cougars a 30-28-4 advantage over the Sunbirds all-time, with Azusa Pacific going 6-1-1 since 2017.
Up Next: Azusa Pacific (2-5-1, 1-0 PacWest) now embark on a trip to Hawai'i, where they will pay a visit to Chaminade on Thursday, October 9. Kickoff in Honolulu is scheduled for 12:30 p.m. Hawaiian Standard Time (3:30 p.m. Pacific).
