AZUSA, Calif. – Lewis & Clark women's soccer converted its only shot of the night and led at halftime, but Azusa Pacific scored twice in the second half to take a 2-1 win on Saturday at Cougar Soccer Complex.
THE BASICS
Lewis & Clark 1, Azusa Pacific 2
(Lewis & Clark 0-1-1)
(Azusa Pacific 2-0-0)
HOW IT HAPPENED
First-year
Olivia Melanson scored her first collegiate goal in the 45th minute to give the River Otters a 1-0 halftime lead.
Fellow first-year
Lucia Barrón Núñez recorded a career-high seven saves in net for Lewis & Clark.
Azusa Pacific controlled possession and outshot the River Otters 9-1 in the first half. The Cougars took three shots in the opening five minutes, while Barrón Núñez made three first-half saves, stopping attempts in the fifth, 23rd and 43rd minutes.
Lewis & Clark took its lone shot of the game in the 45th minute and converted. Melanson finished an assist from senior
Grace Smith at 44:37 to give the River Otters a 1-0 lead. Lewis & Clark carried the advantage into halftime despite being outshot 9-1 and holding 28% of the possession.
Azusa Pacific continued to apply pressure after halftime and recorded 14 of its 23 shots in the second half. Barrón Núñez saved two attempts in the opening 10 minutes of the period before the Cougars equalized. Anela Sandobal converted an assist from Ariana Rivera at 56:01 to tie the game at 1-1.
The Cougars took the lead in the 78th minute when Victoria Castro finished an assist from Haley-Scott Recarte at 77:31. Lewis & Clark earned back-to-back corner kicks midway through the second half but did not register another shot.
Barrón Núñez added two saves in the closing minutes, including her final stop at 83:16. Azusa Pacific controlled possession for much of the final 15 minutes to preserve the 2-1 lead.
BY THE NUMBERS
- Smith recorded her sixth career assist and is tied for 10th in program history.
- Junior Ava Lazzara and Barrón Núñez were the only River Otters to play the full 90 minutes.
- Azusa Pacific held 72% of the possession and earned eight corner kicks to Lewis & Clark's three.
WHO'S NEXT
Lewis & Clark continues its Southern California road trip at Claremont-Mudd-Scripps on Monday. Kickoff is set for 11 a.m.
