ROCHESTER, N.Y. -- Less than a week after suffering a disheartening 3-0 loss to Baker University (Kan.), unranked Azusa Pacific bounced back in impressive style with a 1-1 tie of the NAIA's No. 2-ranked University of Mobile (Ala.) in the opening round of the Roberts Wesleyan Tournament in Rochester, N.Y.
Without All-GSAC defender Jacob Ward, who is out for the season with a torn knee ligament, the makeshift Cougar defensive backfield of Babatunde Ilori, Kevin Sauer and Jacob Allen teamed with freshman keeper Morgan Cathey to frustrate the high-powered Ram offense all day long and then came up with clutch stops in the second overtime when Mobile threatened to win the game.
Azusa Pacific, though, believed it should have won the game in regulation. After Mobile took a 1-0 lead in the 24th minute, the Cougars appeared to have knotted the game moments later on a John Kightlinger goal. However, for the second time this season, Kightlinger had a goal waved off, and the explanation, which was convoluted at best, left the Cougars collectively scratching their head. Earlier in the year, Kightlinger had a deflected goal off an indirect kick waved off in an eventual 0-0 tie to Chapman.
With less than 2 minutes left in the first half, freshman Ian Leinbrandt rifled a shot past Ram keeper Andrew Bayliss to tie the game at 1-1 heading into halftime.
Azusa Pacific controlled the second half of play and out-shot Mobile, 4-3, in the process. The Cougars nearly came up with the game winner, however the Ram defense cleared a Jordan Jones' shot off the goal line in the waning minutes of regulation.
With the tie, the Cougars' record moves to 2-1-2. Mobile suffers if first blemish of the season as its record falls to 5-0-1.