Box Score [Photo gallery]

SAN DIEGO - Nate Nugen scored off a rebound in the 27th minute for the only goal of the match as Azusa Pacific earned a 1-0 victory over the Point Loma men's soccer team on Saturday, Nov. 9.

The loss ends the Sea Lions' season at 7-8-3 and 5-5-3 in the Pacific West Conference. The win guarantees Azusa Pacific at least a share of the PacWest Conference title this season as it went 10-2 in league play and 14-4 overall. APU will now advance to the NCCAA West Regional which begins next week.

The Sea Lions went on the attack early in the match and had three shots on goal in the first 14 minutes. Nico Tagaloa had two of the shots. The first was a rocket from the top of the box which APU's goalie Chip Cox was able to make a punch save on. The second was a cross in which Tagaloa rose up for a header and directed it onto goal, but once again Cox made an athletic save to keep the match scoreless. Ten Bosch had the other opportunity for Point Loma in the 14th minute but his shot was also saved.

APU broke the tie in the 27th minute and then hold on for the win. Keenan Armburst started the process by taking the initial shot into the lower corner of the goal. PLNU goalie Carter Phillips made a diving stop of on the shot but could not control the ball. It slipped from his grip into the foot of Nugen who knocked in the goal right in front of the net.

Point Loma would keep on the attack for the rest of the match looking for the equalizer but never found the goal. Its best chance to tie the match came in the 56th minute when the Sea Lions found Austin Mobley on a cross on the far side of the goal. Mobley headed the ball towards the net and Cox made a diving stop to corral the ball and end another scoring opportunity for PLNU.

"I felt this was a pretty even game," said Point Loma head coach Phil Wolf. "There was not much domination by either team. The second half I thought we were on them but it takes a lot of quality to score goals in this game.

"The goal we conceded was silly," Wolf continued. "It was a preventable situation and it is disappointing we allowed it. It could have either way but they had more quality today in a couple spots so they win in this match."

The seven wins eclipsed the Sea Lions' total of two from last season and the five wins in counference were four more than last season. Point Loma finishes the 2013 season seventh in the PacWest standings.

"The program is trending the right way," said Wolf. "We are much closer now than we were last year but still we have lots of room to grow. For me it was the second step in the process. As much as I walk away disappointed because there are a lot of matches that could have turned but we showed we aren't quite there yet. So hopefully with some more quality, another recruiting class and another year of maturity we'll be right where we need to be."

Point Loma came into the match with the opportunity to reach the NCCAA West Regional with a win or a tie.

"It has been a lot of years since this team has played in any type of big match," Wolf explained. "You are trying to develop a winning mentality, and to play in matches like this means a lot to us. We were competitive in all but the Cal Baptist match this year and made other teams work hard. Every match we knew we'd be in it, which is not something we could say last year."

Prior to the match the Sea Lions had a ceremony to honor its six seniors; Griffin Fuller, Carter Phillips, Carter Rhoad, Dylan Wingrove, Austin Mobley and Bernardo Zamora.