(SAN DIEGO) First-placed Azusa Pacific edged PLNU Women's Soccer, 2-1, on Wednesday afternoon as the Sea Lions suffered their first loss in PacWest play this season.
APU took advantage of a pair of PLNU defensive miscues in the early going to take an early 2-0 lead in the first six-plus minutes of the game.
"I thought they stayed in the fight," Head Coach
Kristi Kiely said of her team's response to its early deficit. "When you give up two (early), it's going to be hard. We knew there weren't going to be a lot of chances in this game, we hoped either way. We gave them two early and that's on us.
"We hit three off the crossbar, and some days are just like that. Unfortunately, this was a big day and we weren't able to take care of it."
Alyssa Ketcham and
Grace Nelson both hit the crossbar with shots before
Nikki Ross got the Sea Lions back into the game, just four-and-a-half minutes after the Cougars' second, with her fourth goal of the season.
Maddy Saruwatari kept the ball in play in the left corner and served a cross into the box, which was headed away but only as far as Ross, who calmly brought the ball down just inside the penalty area and laced a shot with her right foot into the bottom left corner of the net.
Ross had a shot saved later in the opening 45 minutes, as the Sea Lions kept pressure on the Cougars' goal in search of an equalizer.
In the second half,
Lily Larez's cross nearly connected with Ketcham at the back post, while Saruwatari continued to pose a threat on the left wing, rattling the crossbar from outside the box with 10 minutes remaining.
PLNU earned a free kick in the final minute that was cleared away for a corner in the closing seconds, but the hosts were unable to direct a shot goalward before time expired.
The Sea Lions outshot the Cougars, 11-8 overall and 4-2 in the second half, in a PacWest battle between two teams receiving votes in the latest United Soccer Coaches Poll.
"I thought
Maddy Saruwatari had a great game," Kiely said. "Our entire midfield played pretty well for the majority of the game to try and create that (equalizing goal). I felt like it was coming from a lot of different places, it wasn't just one person, but just couldn't make it happen."
Point Loma (6-3-4 overall, 3-1-3 PacWest) next travels to Santa Barbara to play at Westmont on Saturday at noon.
"Nothing changes from our approach to today," Kiely said. "Every game matters, especially at this point in the season, but we always try to treat games that way anyways. Now there's just even more on each match. We'll have to go on the road now and take care of it."
