AZUSA, Calif. – The game started and ended with a ball in the net at the north end of the Cougar Soccer Complex, and the one in the net at the end allowed Azusa Pacific to pull even, stealing a point with a 2-2 tie against #22 Redlands Wednesday evening.
The visiting Bulldogs, who had knocked off the 2025 Division III national runner-up on this very field ten days earlier, came out snarling, heading in a corner kick just 64 seconds into the game to take an early 1-0 lead. Their pressure seemed to get to the Cougars, especially early, as the home side picked up two quick yellow cards inside of 10 minutes. But they were able to get an early chance and capitalized, with Joshua Lugo's shot from the left wing being deflected by the keeper, but right to Leke Ademola, who fired home his seventh goal of the season on the rebound to equalize.
Redlands immediately swarmed again, a string of corner kicks and shots that kept the pressure up and eventually resulted in a second goal in the 26th minute to regain the lead. The Bulldogs would hold onto this advantage for the remainder of the half.
Head coach Dave Blomquist was able to settle the troops down and make some necessary adjustments in the halftime break, because the Cougars seemed to have control of the game in the second half. The Cougars outshot the Bulldogs in the second half by a 6-2 margin, and earned four corner kicks after not having any in the opening 45 minutes. But the quest for a tying goal still remained incomplete.
Until the 89th minute.
The Cougars had been finding space to move forward along the left flank most of the second half, and Lugo was able to do so again and slot a through ball to Alex Gomez, Jr. on the left side of the penalty area. Gomez chipped a ball towards the six-yard box, and confusion between a Redlands center back and their goalkeeper about how to handle it resulted in a deflection that bounced into the net for an own goal with just 91 seconds remaining. Each team would have a free kick in the attacking third in the final minute, but no further damage would be done to the scoreboard.
Ademola had a team-high five shot attempts in the game. Alexis Rodriguez made two saves en route to earning the draw. This was the Cougars' first game against a nationally-ranked opponent in any sport as a member of Division III.
The Cougars (3-1-1) will head down the 605 to face another new conference foe on Saturday when they visit Whittier College, part of a Saturday where the Cougars and Poets will face off in three different sports. The men's soccer contest between the two will kickoff at 7:00 p.m.
