Vanguard can’t quite seal deal

AZUSA — The Vanguard University women’s soccer team made team history by advancing to the NAIA Region II championship game.

But when the Lions got there, they ran into a team with much more experience in that type of big game.

The result, a 4-0 Azusa Pacific win on Tuesday at Azusa Pacific, was thus somewhat predictable. But the Lions (13-5-2) left the field with their heads high after allowing no second-half goals to the Cougars (18-1) in the season-ending loss.

It was the third consecutive Region II championship for Azusa Pacific, the No. 1-ranked NAIA team. The experienced Cougars, now riding an 11-game winning streak, have also won 23 straight home games, a streak that goes back over two years.

Vanguard, ranked No. 16, wasn’t able to end any of those streaks Tuesday, but the Lions said they were proud to be there.

“For us to get as far as we got, it was a huge accomplishment for our program,” Vanguard Coach Randy Dodge said. “We’ve never been here before, and I think some of our players didn’t know how to react to it. When you play a great team, you can’t make any mistakes, or you’ll pay for them.”

Azusa Pacific got on the board in the 22nd minute, when Jolie Nitta took a cross from Sarah Yoro and shot it low into the left corner of the net.

Just 50 seconds later, Yoro scored on a long pass from Randie Massro, dribbling unguarded just inside the box on the left before crossing it into the right corner for a 2-0 APU lead.

“They capitalized on our mistakes in the back,” Vanguard defender Stacia Hoover said. “Those were their only true opportunities.”With 2:06 left in the half, Broad struck again, taking control of a long, bouncing ball and scoring for a 4-0 halftime lead.

Azusa Pacific, which has won every game by at least three goals since beating Vanguard 1-0 in overtime on Oct. 7, was on its way to another win.

“I was worried about this game,” Cougars Coach Jason Surrell said. “They’re a really organized team and Randy does a good job with them. I didn’t ever think what happened today would be an option.”

Vanguard had just two shots on goal in the first half. But Hoover said that the Lions came out with a second-half team goal of not allowing another Azusa Pacific score.

They did that, and even came up with some scoring opportunities of their own.

“It was fantastic,” Dodge said. “They showed some pride and worked hard, giving us a couple of chances to score goals. That’s all you want to do.”

Vanguard leading scorer Rachel Housepian pressured an APU defender in the 65th minute, and a pass back to the goalie deflected into an open area. But no Lions were there to clean up.

In the 77th minute, Hoover’s free kick about 10 yards outside the box was barely deflected high by Azusa Pacific goalie Jill Colfer.

That led to the first of three consecutive corner kicks for the Lions. On the third, Madison Perry and Kelsey Bowman crashed the goal, and Perry’s header in the box hit the crossbar before being cleared out.

“Housepian had a diving header on Jennifer Natoniewski’s ball in the 87th minute, but was ruled offside.

That ended the Lions’ chances on the game — and the season. But the prospects for the future appear bright.

“It’s tough,” said Hoover, a senior and all-Golden State Athletic Conference defender, after her final collegiate game. “But it’s also exciting, because I know where the program’s headed with Randy as the coach, and with the players who are coming back. It’s been a really good ending for me.”

Senior goalie Marissa Swift, the Lions’ other 2006 all-GSAC selection, had 10 saves in the game.