|
Box Score
Cal State San
Marcos’ women’s soccer season was ended in the Regional Semifinals
on Friday, as the team lost 2-1 in overtime to Azusa Pacific.
The sixth-seeded CSUSM squad gave heavily favored first-seeded Azusa
Pacific all they could handle for 90 minutes, and then some. Though
the Cougars (who finish the season 7-6-5) were heavily outmatched by
Azusa (ranked 2nd nationally with a 16-1-1 record), Coach Ron
Pulvers’ team rose to the occasion.
“It was a mismatch. They were bigger, stronger, and faster than us,”
noted Pulvers. “But that said, our girls put every fabric of their
bodies on the line. I could not be prouder.”
The game was played at Azusa, where the home team went undefeated
and un-tied during the regular season. APU controlled play,
generating opportunity after opportunity. They out-shot CSUSM 7-0 in
the first half, generating 5 corner kicks to the Cougars’ zero.
But somehow, CSUSM kept the game scoreless. Keeper Jane Drury made a
pair of saves, and the Cougar defense bent but never broke.
Shortly after the second half began, Azusa finally got on the board.
A ball was played into CSUSM’s box, and the Cougars were whistled
for a controversial foul. Azusa’s Sarah Yoro converted the penalty
kick, breaking the scoreless tie in the 52nd minute.
Given that the Cougars were still yet to get a shot off, the 1-0
lead was potentially insurmountable. But the squad quickly showed
Azusa that it wasn’t going down without a fight. In the 54th minute,
CSUSM’s Taylor Ziencina, who scored the team’s two goals in
Wednesday’s first round win over Concordia, hit a dangerous free
kick into the box. Forward Katelyn Krauss knifed through a pair of
defenders to get off a clean header, which beat Azusa’s keeper to
tie the game.
“It was a tremendous goal,” commented Coach Pulvers.
Despite Azusa continuing to push, the score remained 1-1 as the
second half wore on. APU took shot-after-shot, earned free kicks
deep in the Cougars’ zone, and kept the pressure on the entire half
– but the game remained deadlocked. At the end of regulation, Azusa
held a 15-3 lead in shots, 6-1 lead in shots on goal, and 8-0 lead
in corner kicks. But the only stat that matters – the score -
remained even.
“The girls’ play was so courageous and brave,” said Pulvers. “I’m
super proud of them.”
Finally, four minutes into overtime, Azusa finished off the game.
Off a free kick, APU caught the Cougars’ defense out of position,
and Yoro was able to hit a cross to a wide open Katie Rorabaugh, who
tucked the ball past Drury into the lower right corner of the net.
After giving the #2 team in the nation all they could handle for 94
minutes, the Cougars’ season was over just like that.
While the loss is tough, the team’s accomplishments far outweigh the
disappointment. The 7-6-5 record is misleading; having played a
tougher schedule than many teams in the Region, the Cougars were a
very battle-tested squad, as they proved on Friday.
Looking ahead, though seniors Veronica Sanchez, Randi Leyva, and
Annica Perez will be missed, the majority of the team should be back
in 2008, where the Cougars will sneak up on absolutely no one.
“This group of girls is fantastic. They’re like sponges; they absorb
everything we say, and all year they executed to the best of their
ability,” commented Pulvers. “We’re a very young team, and we’ve
definitely got a lot of promise.”
|
