LOS ANGELES — Occidental (2-5-0) lost to Azusa Pacific (6-0-2) 1-0 on Saturday at W.C. Patterson Field at Jack Kemp Stadium.
The Tigers kept the deficit at 1-0 during a second-half stretch from 66:48 to 76:31 in which Azusa Pacific had six attacking actions, but the Tigers were unable to find an equalizer. The Tigers finished with five shots, including four in the second half, while their goalkeepers made six saves against 15 Azusa Pacific shots.
The Tigers kept Azusa Pacific off the board through a first half in which
Maya Crawford made three saves, including stops in the 27th, 31st and 37th minutes.
Earlier, the Tigers limited the early chances to two Azusa Pacific shots before the visitors built a longer attacking stretch after the 26th minute.
Sophia Weigt took the Tigers' shot in the 35th minute, sending it out right, as the home side looked for a response amid Azusa Pacific's pressure. The half finished 0-0 after the Tigers handled six Azusa Pacific shots and three corners without conceding.
The Tigers spent the second half chasing the match after Lauren Grissom scored for Azusa Pacific in the 60th minute, making it 1-0. Earlier, Crawford kept the half scoreless with a save on Anela Sandobal in the 55th minute, and the Tigers answered the goal with chances from
Tess Adlam and
Diana Reyes-Sanchez, whose shot was saved by Paloma Platas.
Azusa Pacific pushed again from the 67th through 77th minutes, but
Melanie Rodriguez made saves on Ariana Rivera and Abbie Campos, and the Tigers got through that stretch without conceding again.
Zakrie Smith forced another save in the 78th minute before
Samantha An put a shot over the frame, but the Tigers could not find an equalizer as the match finished 1-0 for Azusa Pacific.
Tigers Top Performers
Maya Crawford
----------------------
- four saves
Melanie Rodriguez
----------------------
- two saves
Zakrie Smith
----------------------
- one shot on goal
Diana Reyes-Sanchez
----------------------
- one shot on goal
The Tigers are 2-5-0 overall and 2-1-0 in conference play. Azusa Pacific is 6-0-2 overall. Occidental will be back in action on the road in Pasadena when they'll face off against Caltech on Wednesday, September 30th at 4:00pm.
