SAN DIEGO, Calif. – Azusa Pacific battled Dominican to a scoreless draw through 110 minutes on Thursday afternoon, but the Penguins came away with a 3-0 win in the penalty shootout at PLNU Soccer Field.

From the opening whistle, the Cougars dictated play, outshooting Dominican 10-4 in the first half while also holding a 4-0 advantage in corner kicks. Azusa Pacific put four shots on frame in the opening period, forcing multiple saves out of Dominican's goalkeeper, but the breakthrough would not come and the teams went into halftime level at 0-0.

The pattern continued after the break, as the Cougars generated eight more shots in the second half and limited Dominican to just five. Azusa Pacific finished regulation with a 24-10 shot advantage and a 7-0 edge in shots on goal, while also posting an 8-2 margin in corners.

In overtime, the drama ramped up. APU went down to 10 players in the 97th minute following a red card to Faith Crouse, yet the Cougars still produced the best chances of the extra periods. In the 102nd minute, Anela Sandobal's shot to the bottom right corner was saved before a follow-up attempt from Victoria Castro was blocked in the box, and with under a minute remaining, Haley-Scott Recarte had the best opportunity of the match in the last minute of play, but her shot rattled off the post.

Neither side could find a winner from open play, sending the match to penalties, where Dominican converted its first three attempts while Azusa Pacific was unable to score from the spot.