AZUSA, Calif. – Azusa Pacific men's soccer had no shortage of chances Tuesday night at Cougar Soccer Complex, but Stanton made the most of its opportunities and held off a second-half push from the Cougars for a 2-1 victory.
Stanton struck first in the 19th minute when Andre Tavares found the back of the net to give the visitors an early advantage. The lead grew to 2-0 in the 34th minute on a goal from Alvaro Florin, sending Azusa Pacific into halftime facing a two-goal deficit.
The Cougars wasted little time responding.
Just 39 seconds into the second half, Leke Ademola scored his eighth goal of the season to bring Azusa Pacific within one. Ethan Nguyen and Osmin Carranza combined on the buildup and were each credited with an assist.
From there, the Cougars continued to press Stanton's back line. Azusa Pacific recorded 10 shots and 6 corner kicks in the second half, but could not find the equalizer.
For the match, Azusa Pacific held a 16-11 advantage in shots and a nine-to-five edge in corner kicks. Both teams finished with 6 shots on goal.
Ademola and Mario Shuteriqi led the Cougar attack with five shots apiece, while Ademola placed three of his attempts on frame. Alexis Rodriguez finished the night with four saves in goal.
Despite controlling much of the second-half pressure, Azusa Pacific was unable to turn another opportunity into a goal as Stanton held on for the 2-1 decision.
With the loss, the Cougars move to 4-2-1 on the season. The Cougars will have a quick turnaround, traveling to Pasadena on Wednesday (Sept. 23) to face Caltech at 4 p.m.
