Not This Time

Thursday, October 15

Azusa, CA

7:30 PM

California Baptist University

5-6-1, 3-4PacWest

Azusa Pacific

3-5-2, 2-2-1PacWest

Team	1	2	Final F
California Baptist	1	1	2
Azusa Pacific	0	0	0

Photo by: Sammi Wellman

10/15/2015 11:29:00 PM | Men's Soccer

Box Score

By: Sammi Sheppard, Director of Sports Information

AZUSA, Calif. — Azusa Pacific may have had California Baptist University's number the past few years, but not this time. The Lancers scored early and kept fighting to grab a 2-0 victory.

"APU has had our number the past couple of games," said Coach Gregg Schroeder. "This year we came knowing this was a game that's going to bring out the best in us."

The win moves CBU to 5-6-1 overall and 4-3 in the PacWest, putting the conference title still within reach with six games left to play. The Cougars fall to 3-4-2 on the year, 2-1-1 in conference, after the Lancers snap a three-game winning streak.

"I told the guys that the team that fights without reservation and trusts in each other will win tonight," said Schroeder. "I thought we fought a little harder. APU is a good team. They made it difficult on us."

"It's finally good to get the win, especially since we haven't gotten the results we've wanted the past three years I've played against APU," said James Bogdanovich. "I think today was a must-win as the conference championship plays out."

Aidan Apodaca put the Cougars under pressure early into the contest, pinging a hard-hit shot off the crossbar in the fifth minute on a free kick.

In the 30th minute, Bogdanovich put the Lancers on the board. The senior defender stepped up to take a free kick about 30 yards out, whipping it into the back post off a Cougar defender.

"Coach always tells us that if no one can touch the ball, it should be able to just go in," said Bogdanovich about his free kick. "That was the goal, to just whip it in as hard as I could and hopefully it hits off somebody, which it did."

Knowing APU's history, CBU wasn't content with the 1-0 lead and kept pushing for another.

"Getting the first goal early was good since it allowed us to play a little freer, but they came at us for a while in the second half," said Schroeder.

The Lancers got the insurance they were looking for in the 83rd minute. From the right corner, Daniel Moss showed off his footwork, doing crossover after crossover before sending in a cross into the box. Daniel Westholm got on the other end of it and put it away to make it 2-0.

"That was a really timely goal," said Schroeder. "It really lifted us and let us finish the game."

Now in a two goal hole, APU turned into desperation mode looking to breakthrough the scoreless drought. Noah Oyler would have none of that, however, making three of his five saves in the last six minutes.

"We made it a goal before the game to win it for our seniors," said Oyler. "It feels good to win."

"As a group, we really came together," said Bogdanovich. "It was a good group effort to really defend and mark everyone."

CBU gets a week to recover before hosting Dixie State on Oct. 22 at 3:00 p.m. The Lancers then turn right around to face Fresno Pacific on the road two days later.

"Hopefully this win continues to enstill trust in the guys that we're doing the right things," said Schroeder. "Even though we've come up short a couple of times, we need to keep battling. I hope they continue to trust and believe and keep fighting."