Dixie State could not overcome three second half Azusa Pacific goals as the Red Storm came up short in their home and Pacific West Conference opener by a 4-1 count Thursday afternoon at Hansen Stadium. The loss dropped DSU to 2-3-0 on season, 0-1-0 in PacWest play, while the 18th-ranked Cougars improved to 5-0-0, 1-0-0 in league action.
DSU had early scoring chances in the opening half, the first coming in the fourth minute when Jasmine Arollo (Glendale, Ariz./Apollo HS) just missed on an arcing attempt that Cougar netminder Sarah Klinkenberg just got enough of a hand on the ball to deflect it off the cross bar and over the goal. Arollo registered three shots on frame in the period, but Klinkenberg was up to the task to keep the Storm off the board.
The match remained scoreless until late in the 32nd minute when APU broke through for its first goal of the match as Katelyn Rogers cashed in a free kick from 25-yards out for her fourth goal of the year to give the Cougars a 1-0 advantage.
Arollo finally solved Klinkenberg four minutes into the second half as the senior fired a shot from the right wing that the keeper caught just beyond the goal line for her second goal of the year to pull Dixie State even at 1-1. The DSU goal broke APU's five-plus match defensive scoreless streak (408:52 total minutes) to open the season.
However the tie was short-lived as the Cougars reclaimed the lead late in the 58th-minute as Allyn Brown tucked home a carom off the post from a Cassidy Burr shot to stake the Cougars to a 2-1 advantage. Burr then added an insurance goal 10 minutes later as she beat DSU keeper Danica Nusink (Springville, Utah/Springville HS) from the right wing to the far post and into the net to extend the lead to 3-1. APU then put the match away with just under six minutes to play when Stephanie Lossau scored from 10-yards out from the left wing.
"Looking at the stats, this showed to be an even game with us having an advantage in shots on goal and corner kicks," Head Coach Kacey Bingham said. "The difference was APU put four of their opportunities away and we only capitalized on one opportunity. I think we weren't hungry enough in the final third and had some uncharacteristic mistakes in the back line at the end of the game.
"Jasmine Arollo (Glendale, Ariz./Apollo HS) continues to be dangerous for us in the final third and could have had multiple goals for us," Bingham continued. "It will be a good test to see how we rebound from this game into Point Loma on Saturday."
Both teams finished with 12 shots in the match, though DSU wound up with a 6-5 edge on goal. Arollo accounted for five of DSU's six shots on frame to lead the Storm offensively.
Dixie State will look for its first PacWest win this Saturday as the Storm welcomes in Point Loma for a Homecoming match at 10 a.m., at Hansen Stadium.
