BOX SCORE

LA MIRADA, Calif. --- Despite playing one of its best all-around matches of the season against one of the NAIA's best teams, Biola University was unable to pull off the upset, falling 1-0 to No. 2 Azusa Pacific University on Saturday afternoon at Al Barbour Field.

The Eagles drop to 3-8-2 overall and fall to 1-4-2 in GSAC play. The Cougars improve to 10-1-1 and 6-0-0 in conference action.

Both teams played outstanding soccer throughout the first half but neither could get on the board. Azusa Pacific peppered the Biola net with 11 shots in the half but netminder Lauren Gregston made eight saves to keep the score 0-0 at halftime.

In the second half, Azusa Pacific finally broke through with a goal in the 69th minute. Sarah Yoro found Theresa Broad with a great through ball which Broad finished with a quick shot to the far post.

The Eagles failed to concede the match, though and just three minutes later had a great chance to score as senior Laurelle Robertson collected a loose ball in the box and cracked a shot. However, APU netminder Jill Colfer-Martinson came up with one of her three saves to keep Biola off the board.

In the 80th minute, Robertson had another chance, firing a shot to the far post and beating the goalkeeper only to see an APU defender slide in and clear the ball off the line.

Overall, Azusa Pacific held a 23-7 edge in shots and still barely managed to hang on against a determined home side. Gregston was a major part of that effort, making 11 saves and stopping a number of quality scoring chances by the Cougars.

Biola still has a realistic chance to make its first trip to the NAIA playoffs should the Eagles win their final three matches against GSAC foes. The Eagles have five points in conference play and sit just one point out of seventh and three out of sixth. Traditionally, the top seven GSAC teams make it to the eight-team NAIA Region II playoffs.

The Eagles open this critical stretch with a road contest at Westmont College on Tuesday (Oct. 16) at 3:00 p.m.