On Sept. 5, both men’s and women’s soccer began their season against Cal St. Dominguez Hills and came out with big wins
Men’s Soccer
Men’s soccer, which was ranked as the number one team in the PacWest prior to the start of the season, demonstrated their strength in the season-opening match against Cal St. Dominguez Hills. The Cougars held nothing back and showed no signs of offseason rust, cruising to a 4-0 win over the Toros.
The Cougars’ offense was absolutely dominant in the victory, never giving the opposing defense room to breathe. Attacking the net consistently, APU ended up outshooting the Toros 20-5 and also earned eight corner kicks, compared to CSDH’s one. Last season, APU relied on their strong offensive play, outscoring opponents 51-22 in 18 regular season games.
Junior James Ndubueze started the season strong, achieving a hat trick. Ndubueze was very excited about the way the team played.
“We are always close, off the field and on the field. With Arturo, Grego and David at the front it’s like we lost nobody and I love that fact,” Ndubueze said, per the APU Athletics Department.
This was also a great game for the team’s freshmen, with four players making their debuts. Daniel Osei-Tutu started the game for the Cougars, playing 38 minutes and recording an assist on APU’s second goal.
Men’s soccer will continue their season on Saturday against Cal St. San Marcos. The Cougars haven’t faced off against Cal St. San Marcos since 2011.
Women’s Soccer
APU women’s soccer battled CSDH on Thursday night as well, also claiming victory, 3-1. The team sported new all-black uniforms. With a fresh season and fresh look, the Cougars took every opportunity they received and came out on top.
The Cougars offense shared the wealth, with three different players scoring goals in the game. Junior Maddy Morrison tallied the first goal in the 39th minute, the only goal of the half. In the second half, APU quickly capitalized and extended their lead with a goal from junior Randi Macadangdang 39 seconds into the second half, followed by a goal from sophomore Ella Romero just four minutes later. The Cougars peppered the Toros’ goalie, with a total of 10 shots, including seven on net.
This game was a great way to start the 2019 season on the right foot and the Cougars did just that.
“Before the game, Coach Lincoln talked about how it is a new season and a chance for us to write a new chapter,” said Macadangdang, per the APU Athletics Department. “We talked a lot about the kind of mindset that is needed to be successful, I think we showed tonight what can happen when we come together and are focused and believe that we are going to be successful.”
The Toros scored their only goal of the match in the 81st minute on a penalty kick, but it was too little, too late, and the Cougars cruised to a win in their first game of the season.
The Cougars will face Cal St. San Marcos in their next match on Thursday, Sept. 12, at the Cougar Soccer Complex for their first home game of the season.