The Cougars continue their unbeaten streak with a close win against Western Washington
An electrifying game-winning strike in double overtime lifted the Azusa Pacific men’s soccer team over Western Washington on Thursday night. A dramatic 2-1 victory was the sixth straight win of the NCAA DII #3 ranked Cougars’ young 2019 season. They remain unbeaten.
The WWU Vikings came out of the gate in the first half determined to hit APU with their best shot. They tallied 6 shots in the first 45 minutes, compared to APU’s three, dominating time of possession. Stellar play from APU junior goalkeeper Brendan Fix, who had 5 first-half saves, kept the score even at 0-0 at half.
Momentum swung APU’s way in the second half. They scored first in the 70th minute on a breakaway goal from senior Arturo Astorga. Bruno Pagani made an incredibly precise long pass to the midfielder who beat the goaltender down the field and scored on an empty net.
The Cougars held their 1-0 lead until the final minute of play when WWU tied the game up off a header with 31 seconds in the game.
The first overtime period was hard fought, but remained scoreless as fatigue set in for both teams. The golden goal came early in the second overtime period, when a quick possession change allowed forward David Quinn the opportunity to loft the ball over Viking defenders to Astorga right in front of the net. Astorga punched in the game winner for his second goal of the contest, sealing the victory for the Cougars.
With another gutsy performance under his belt, Astorga continues to solidify his role as a leader for APU. The 2018 Second Team All-American and PacWest First Teamer has been on the field for the majority of each match this season. In the 519 minutes he’s played, he’s scored 3 goals on 12 shots and also has 1 assist.
The dramatic win improves the Cougars’ record to 6-0 on the season, and they’ll likely remain ranked in the top five in the nation. The Cougars finish their road trip against Seattle Pacific on Saturday at 7 p.m.