Cougars Claw Past Eagles, 3-0

Box Score 

(10/16/07 - Women's Soccer) AZUSA - League-leading Azusa Pacific scored a pair of first half goals to tighten their grip on 1st place in a 3-0 win over #10-ranked Concordia, Tuesday afternoon at the Cougar Soccer Complex.

The Cougars (11-1-1, 7-0-0 GSAC), ranked #2 in the latest NAIA poll, grabbed a pair of goals inside the first 30 minutes that set the tone for the rest of the game. The Eagles were unable to be patient and wait for goals, allowing the home side to dictate the pace of the game.

While the Eagles held their fair share of possession through the first 20 minutes, the first Cougar goal came after a long ball out of the back was played by Lynsey Domene. As the ball bounded toward the Concordia goal, Bridget Brotherton won a foot race to the ball and touched the ball under Suzanne Torres. Brotherton needed just a simple touch into the open net at 20:11 to open the scoring.

Just seven seconds short of the 30-minute mark, the Cougars doubled their advantage. Domene was again on the providing end as she fired a corner kick into the box from the left corner. A first wave of players all missed the ball and it made its way to the back post. Sara Odenthal stepped in and poked the ball back across goal and into the net.

Though they were outshot 13-4 for the game, the Eagles did have several chances in the early moments of the second half that nearly saw them pull at least one goal back and make the game interesting. Taryn Flamson struck a long free kick on goal that Jill Colfer-Martinson touched over the bar while Trina McGee was also thwarted while making a run toward goal.

Instead of finding a way back into the game, the Eagles surrendered a third goal in the 71st minute that ended any suspense of the outcome. A tussle at midfield between Flamson and Theresa Broad saw Domene pick up the ball and head in all alone toward goal. She went to touch the ball around Jamie Carney, who replaced Torres in the 41st minute, but was judged to have brought down the Cougar midfielder. Sarah Yoro converted the penalty kick to the right of Carney to finish the scoring.

Torres made three stops in goal, all in the first half, while Colfer-Martinson had two saves after the intermission to preserve the shutout. The Eagles did manage a 7-3 edge in corner kicks, but were unable to convert any into solid scoring opportunities.

Concordia (11-3-1, 5-2-1 GSAC) is back home for the final two games of the season starting this Saturday, October 20 against Fresno Pacific at 12:00 p.m.