APU Men's and Women's Soccer Reach Finals
November 21, 2006 - For the first time in Azusa Pacific University history, both the Men's and Women's soccer teams reached the NAIA National Championship final. Fit for the task after training an entire season with Steve Tashjian, Director of Athletic Performance at SPC, both teams were excited for the possibility of taking both trophies home to California.

Both games mirrored each other as the boy teams physically dominated their opponents throughout regulation. The men playing Graceland University (Iowa) in Daytona Beach, Florida ended regulation 0-0 despite spending almost the entire game on Graceland's half of the field. The men playing Lindsey Wilson College in Olathe, Kansas, ended regulation in a 1-1 tie delivering a similar performance with high pressure and physical dominance.

Both teams reached two scoreless overtime periods in which APU demonstrated their impressive fitness levels. While the men went to penalty kick shootouts, the women continued over time until a golden goal was produced in the 4th overtime period! Unfortunately for APU, it came off of the goal of the tournament from Lindsey Wilson Forward, Kristine Pederson whose blast from 22 yards out ended the cougars championship dreams.

As for the men, shootouts would decide the victory. After an amazing ten shot affair which saw 4 shots saved by each goalkeeper, Graceland finished the golden goal penalty kick they needed to take home the National Title.

It was a great year for both programs. A year where we could not have asked anything more from our players. When you look back on what each team has accomplished, it is easy to see that everything is now in place to establish APU as a soccer powerhouse for many years to come.

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