AZUSA, Calif – The Cougars honored 10 seniors Saturday night, when they hosted the Jessup University Warriors in the final game of the 2025 season. APU beat Jessup handily, including a hattrick from senior Luis Solis. 

Jessup opened the scoring, finding the back of the Cougar's net just two minutes into the game. APU responded in the 30th minute, when Luis Solis picked the ball up on top of the box, and after some tight footwork placed a left-footed shot into the bottom right corner of the Jessup goal. The game went into halftime tied 1-1.

The second half began the same as the first, with a goal coming just two minutes after kickoff, however this time it was the Cougars who struck first. Steven Alvarenga found Luis Solis on top of the box who took a touch inside and found the side netting with a right foot finish. APU doubled their lead just 4 minutes later when Mario Shuteriqi whipped in a cross to Osmin Carranza who headed the ball into the right side of the goal. In the 56th minute, Sohei Matsumori stopped a Jessup counter attack with a nice tackle, and immediately slipped Carranza in behind the Warrior defense. Carranza then chipped the keeper, recording his second goal in 6 minutes. 

After scoring 3 goals in the opening 11 minutes of the first half, the Cougar offense was kept quiet for the next 28 minutes. Luis Solis completed his hat trick in the 84th minute when he picked up a Matsumori through ball and slotted it past the goalkeeper for his 10th goal of the season. The Cougars capped off Senior Night in the 89th minute when Orlando Valencia-Jimenez played a ball over the top of the Jessup defense to Kayro Valdez who chipped the keeper. Valdez's initial attempt was denied by the post but he picked up his own rebound, blasted it into the back of the net, and celebrated with a shimmy alongside his teammates. It was the senior defender's first goal of his career.

Inside the Numbers: 

• Senior Luis Solis' three goals marks the first hattrick since current Assistant Coach Gregoire Diep's against Hawaii Pacific on Oct. 26th, 2022
• Solis leads the team in goals with 10, and finishes 4th in the PacWest for points with 23
• Senior Sohei Matsumori's 2 assists on the night take him to a team high 4 on the season
• Despite the lopsided scoreline, the Jessup Warriors actually outshot the Cougars, and senior goalkeeper Alexis Rodriguez made a season high 8 saves

Azusa Pacific finished the season 5-8-4 and 4-3-3 in their final PacWest season. The Cougars honored 10 seniors who left their mark on the program; Alexis Rodriguez, Raul Lavado, Timo Wurtemberger, Olara Parodi, Luis Solis, Matthew Solis, Andrew Gomez, Orlando Valencia-Jimenez, Kayro Valdez, and Sohei Matsumori. The Cougars look ahead to their inaugural season in the SCIAC during the 2026 campaign.