CLAREMONT, Calif. – Montana George had maybe her best statistical performance in an Azusa Pacific cap, scoring six goals in leading the Cougars to a 17-12 victory over McKendree at the Claremont Convergence Tournament Friday afternoon, before completing a 2-0 day with a 14-10 win over Salem.

Game 1: Azusa Pacific 17, McKendree 12

George put the Cougars on the scoreboard two minutes into the game and Azusa Pacific never trailed in dispatching the Bearcats.  Evelyn Prado and Bailey Hollick also found the back of the cage to give the Cougars a 3-2 lead after one.  George again got the offense rolling to start the second, and when George converted a penalty on the trip after Hollick completed her hat trick, Azusa Pacific had a 7-4 advantage.

George's sixth goal of the game came on a penalty shot midway through the third quarter and gave Azusa Pacific a lead of 11-7 at the time.  McKendree would rally and find themselves down by only one early in the final quarter.  But the defense did its job, keeping the Bearcats off the board for the final seven minutes of the game, and the Cougars would convert multiple chances from the penalty spot down the stretch to pull away.  George finished with six goals, three steals, and drew four McKendree exclusions; while Hollick scored four goals and Audrey Dexter added three.

Game 2: Azusa Pacific 14, Salem 10

Moving literally down the street from Pomona-Pitzer's pool for game one to Claremont Mudd-Scripps' for the nightcap, the Cougars jumped out to a 3-0 lead after the first quarter and never let up against the Tigers, who hail from West Virginia.  Salem would be kept off the scoreboard until nearly the halfway mark of the second quarter.  The Tigers attempted to make up for lost time, but the Cougars had an answer for every strike, including a buzzer-beater from Kohia Rego, and maintained the three-goal advantage at the half, 7-4.

Any real hopes the Tigers had of mounting a comeback were dashed in the opening part of the third quarter when Azusa Pacific scored on four of their first five possessions to open up an 11-5 lead.  Rego led the offense with a hat trick, George had two goals and two assists to total up an 11-point day, and eight different Cougars scored a goal in the late game.

Up Next: For Azusa Pacific (14-7), day two of the Claremont Convergence will see them head west to the Eagle Rock area of Los Angeles, where their Saturday matches will take place against UC Merced at 11:00 a.m. and against host Occidental at 4:00 p.m.