AZUSA, Calif. – Azusa Pacific found the back of the net once in each half, which proved enough for a 2-1 victory over La Verne Wednesday evening at the Cougar Soccer Complex.
After a short feeling-out process, the Cougars found their moment in the 18th minute. A series of one-touch passes following a Leopard clearance got the ball to Mario Shuteriqi in the middle of the field. Forty yards from goal, he laid a pass to Osmin Carranza on the right side of the field. The midfielder dribbled multiple times, heading back to the middle of the field about 25 yards from goal and let loose a left-footed shot that tucked into the top left corner of the net for a 1-0 lead.
La Verne would threaten a couple of times near the end of the half, at one point forcing Cougar goalkeeper Alexis Rodriguez to tip a long shot over the crossbar, but there would be no further damage to the scoreboard in the first half.
Just past the midway point of the second half, another Cougar counterattack would bear fruit. Jeremiah Botros took possession of the ball a few yards in front of his own defensive box. Looking up, he sent a deep ball across the field to Leke Ademola just over the midfield line. Ademola had two defenders between himself and the keeper, but dribbled toward the top of the box, cut back towards the middle, and fired in a low ball that snuck past the keeper to double the lead. The Leopards would pull one back with about 12 minutes remaining when they tapped in a rebound off an initial Rodriguez save, but that was as close as La Verne would get the rest of the way.
Ademola's goal was his 13th of the season, the most in the SCIAC. Rodriguez tied a season high by making six saves en route to earning his second-consecutive win and third of the season. The Cougars narrowly outshot the Leopards 14-12 on the night, but La Verne put seven attempts on goal to the Cougars' six. While the Cougars' games against SCIAC schools this season are not considered conference games, Azusa Pacific is 3-3-2 against their soon-to-be conference foes in 2026.
The win puts coach Dave Blomquist one behind the program's all-time leader, Don Lawrence, who won 180 games between 1985 and 2000. Coach Blomquist and the Cougars (6-4-2) will get their first chance to earn that record-tying victory on Saturday when they visit Cal Lutheran. Kickoff is scheduled for 1:00 p.m.
