IRVINE, Calif. - The CUI men's soccer team looked to keep its winning streak alive against PacWest rival Azusa Pacific in a non-conference match.

The meeting between the two teams turned out to be a battle that all the fans anticipated.  The Eagles and the Cougars competed until the very end.

Early on, APU put some pressure on the Green and Gold. Concordia did not shy away from the competition and fought every second for control of the game. Unfortunately CUI got too physical on a play that resulted in a free kick outside the box. The Cougars struck first with a ball that was placed right outside of the defensive wall by midfielder Gregoire Diep and into the corner of the net giving the visitors a 1-0 lead.

The figurative fight continued and minutes before ending the first half, Azusa Pacific went on the attack again and found the back of the net. In the 39th minute, the opposing midfielder David Kwinn received a cross inside the box from teammate Daniel Osei-tutu and found the back of the net, giving the away team a 2-0 advantage at the half.

But Concordia was never fearful of the pressure. The Eagles buckled down on defense and applied some pressure of their own. The hard-nosed defense led to offense, which resulted in a foul giving CUI the free kick they needed. Junior midfielder Erick Correa sent the ball into the box where only his 6'6" teammate Michael Oakson could get to it. Oakson headed the ball right past the defenders and into the net narrowing the deficit to 2-1.

The Green and Gold fought hard until the final whistle, but ultimately ran out of time to net the equalizer. The CUI squad will have some time to prepare for another tough PacWest opponent on Wednesday, Oct. 2nd in another non-conference match at Biola University at 3:00 p.m.

For the full schedule of the CUI men's soccer team, click here.