GLENDORA, Calif. – The #14 LMU Lions offense delivered in Saturday's opening game of Golden Coast Conference play. The Lions broke the program record with 27 goals scored in the win over Azusa Pacific.
 
Carolina Magano opened the scoring, and after the Cougars tied the game at 1-1, pushed LMU up again with her second of the first three minutes of the game. Ruth Arino Ruiz and Noa Sasover each scored twice in the first period as well to give LMU a 6-2 advantage after one period of play.
 
Former Lion Alexandra Akritidou opened the scoring in the second period before Arino Ruiz added one back for the Lions. APU cut their deficit to 7-5 before Yanah Gerber brought it back to a three-goal game with 3:34 to play before halftime. After the home team responded to pull back within two, the Lions scored the next three unanswered goals as Magano scored on back-to-back possessions and Sasover added another. LMU would close the half with six of the last seven goals as Anna Tarantino converted a penalty, Sasover added another, and Sophie Kadifa scored in the closing seconds to push the Lions ahead 14-7.
 
The first four goals after intermission all went in favor of the Lions as Sophia DeMattia, Magano, Taylor Enright, Gerber, and Lily Larson pushed the lead to a dozen at 19-7. The Cougars stopped the run with back-to-back goals before Gerber, DeMattia, and Arino Ruiz gave LMU a 22-9 lead. APU added one in the final 22 seconds to bring the score to 22-10 after three periods.
 
DeMattia completed her hat trick in the opening possession of the fourth period. After a goal from Azusa Pacific, Arino Ruiz converted a penalty shot to start another run of three consecutive goals. Anna Tarantino tied the program record with LMU's 25^th goal of the game and freshman Sydney Chapman helped rewrite the history books with LMU's 26^th goal scored. London Boyd added a 27^th and final goal in the final minute of play as LMU took the game, 27-12, to move to 1-0 in the GCC.
 
Alyssa Barnuevo earned the win with four saves and a steal. Talia Herbermann finished the game in the cage for the Lions.
 
LMU is set to make their home debut on Saturday and Sunday next weekend as the Lions host UC San Diego on Feb. 15 and Toronto on Feb. 16 at Burns Aquatics Center. The two games will be streamed on ESPN+ and feature free entry for fans.
 
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