AZUSA, Calif. – Azusa Pacific clinched the regular season PacWest title after defeating Jessup 2-0 on Saturday night at the Cougar Soccer Complex. It's the team's first conference title since 2016, and Head Coach Brooke Lincoln's first since she joined the Cougars in 2018.
"It's so incredible," Lincoln shared after the match on Saturday. "(It's been) 8 years in the making… This is something that we've been casting the vision (for) since 2018 when I got here, so, 8 years later to see it finally come to fruition- I'm just so proud of the girls, so proud of the staff. It feels really great."Â
The Cougars got off to a hot start in conference play, winning their first 5 games, including a notable win against RV Concordia Irvine. APU picked up 2 more important wins against Biola and reigning PacWest Champions Point Loma to take control of the conference race. The Cougars entered the final week needing just one point across two matches to secure the title, and they left no doubt, earning three on Saturday to clinch the PacWest Championship.
Azusa Pacific immediately showed dominance against Jessup, rattling off 8 shots in the opening half–5 from Faith Crouse–compared to the Warrior's 0, and earning 8 corner kicks to Jessup's 0. But nothing translated to the back of the net for APU and the squads entered halftime scoreless.
With just over 11 minutes left, it looked like the Cougars might have to settle for a one-point draw. But Victoria Castro and Zoey Kuhn had other plans. Castro sent a free kick into the box from about 45 yards out, and Kuhn rose above two defenders to head it past the keeper into the far post, putting APU up 1-0.
Just 4 minutes later, another free kick was awarded to the Cougars in a similar spot on the field. Center back Sophia Emerson played it short to fellow captain Alexis Fuller, who took one touch before sending in a screamer to the upper 90 at the far post, sealing the 2-0 win with an insurance goal.
"Sophia is insane," said Fuller when recounting her goal, after initially lining up to cross the ball into the box. "She told me to get off the ball and let her play me, and I said, 'You know what—okay.' So I had a crack at it for—"
"A nasty goal," Emerson interrupted. "A nasty, nasty goal."Â
The Cougars also celebrated their 5 graduating seniors before the match. Aubrey Dunaway, Megan Salvesvold, Zoey Kuhn, Faith Crouse, and Alexis Fuller all played in their last home regular season game at the Cougar Soccer Complex.
APU (11-3-3 overall, 8-2 PacWest) now shifts its attention to the PacWest tournament hosted by Point Loma next weekend. The #1 seeded Cougars will face #4 Dominican on Thursday, Nov. 13 at 11:00 a.m. in San Diego. The winner will advance to the championship on Saturday, Nov. 15 at 12:00 p.m. to face either #2 Hawaii-Hilo or #3 Point Loma.
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