POMONA, Calif. -- Azusa Pacific's historic season came to a close on Saturday after the Cougars fell 1-0 to defending national champion Cal Poly Pomona in the West Region final.

APU came out sharp in the opening minutes, even scoring an early goal that was called back for being offsides, but the Broncos quickly found their rhythm and took command of the match. In the 39th minute, Cal Poly Pomona broke through, sending a cross to the back post where a Bronco was waiting to head it home. From there, the score held steady, as neither side created any dangerous chances in a tightly contested second half.

The Cougars capped off Azusa Pacific's final year in the PacWest with a historic run—claiming their first regular-season title since 2016, setting a program-record 10-match shutout streak, and matching the longest postseason push APU has achieved since joining the NCAA. On the road to the West Region final, the Cougars took down the 2023 National Champion Point Loma and 2022 National Champion and No. 1 seed Western Washington. They also boasted the PacWest Coach of the Year in Brooke Lincoln, Defender of the Year in junior Sophia Emerson, and Freshman of the Year in Mayilen Salazar.