CLAREMONT, Calif. – The Cougars winning streak ended at eight, but a new one may have started as the Cougars split their second day of action at the Claremont Convergence.  Azusa Pacific dropped the opening game of the day 12-6 to Michigan before beating La Verne 20-9 in the nightcap.

Game One: Michigan 12, Azusa Pacific 6

The Cougars kept things close in the opening quarter, with a buzzer-beating shot from goalkeeper Daniela Herrero Miralles pulling Azusa Pacific within a single goal at 3-2 after the first quarter.  But the Wolverines would take control of the game in the second, scoring on four of their first five shots of the quarter, and continued to add to their advantage, eventually hitting halftime leading the Cougars 10-4.

Azusa Pacific regrouped in the third quarter, scoring a pair of goals while clamping down on defense to cut the lead to 10-6.  Around the midway point of the fourth quarter, Michigan finally broke through for their first goal of the half, and would add another shortly after.  Azusa Pacific is still looking for their first win against the Wolverines, but this was the closest contest of the four played to date.  Laia Marsinach Ortega and Alexandra Akritidou each scored twice for the Cougars in the game, while Herrero Miralles made five saves in net.

Game Two:  Azusa Pacific 20, La Verne 9

The Cougars found the back of the net on two of their first three shots of the game and never looked back in earning their second win over the Leopards this season.  Five different Cougars scored a goal in the opening quarter while Herrero Miralles kept La Verne off the scoreboard for the first 11 minutes of the contest, making three saves in the opening quarter alone as Azusa Pacific ran out to an 8-0 lead before the Leopards finally put a dent in the back of the cage.

La Verne would make a game of it in the middle quarters, at one point cutting the score to 13-8 early in the fourth quarter.  But the Cougars found the gas pedal and slammed on it the rest of the way, scoring seven goals over the final six minutes of the game to put it away.  Ten different Cougars scored in the win, with four of them (Jessie Nelson, Evelyne Prado, Akritidou, and Marsinach Ortega) recording hat tricks.  Herrero Miralles made eight saves in net and the defense came up with 12 steals in all.

Up Next: Azusa Pacific (11-9) continue non-conference play next week when they take on St. Francis (PA).