AZUSA, Calif. – Hawai'i Pacific University fell behind midway through the first half and never got back to even in opening a four-game PacWest Conference road swing with a 5-2 loss at Azusa Pacific on Saturday.
 
The Sharks (7-4-1, 4-2) saw the Cougars (6-5-1, 2-3) pound shot after shot as they pulled away for the victory.
 
HPU got goals from sophomore Hunter Malaki of Pearl City, Hawai'i/Pearl City and junior Nina Gonzales of Palmdale, Calif./Knight who picked up her third goal of the season.
 
Azusa Pacific got a pair of goals from Maddy Morrison, with additional scores from Abi Hume, Randi Macadangdang and Emmy Koflanovich.
 
The Cougars fired 21 shots against the Sharks. Sophomore starting goalkeeper Marissa Froio of Simi Valley, Calif./Royal collected six saves and allowed four goals before being lifted in the 58th minute. Senior Gretchen Berkey of Grants Pass, Ore./Grants Pass, tallied two saves with a goal against in the last 32 minutes of play.
 
HPU put up 13 shots against APU keeper Jennifer Kovisto who posted five saves with two goals allowed.
 
APU opened the scoring with an unassisted goal from Morrison in the 25th minute for the 1-0 advantage.
 
The Cougars added a second in the 43rd minute on Hume's goal for the 2-0 lead to go into halftime.
 
The Sharks answered in the second minute following the half when Malaki picked up her first goal during the action from a corner kick to pull within a goal at 2-1 in the 47th minute.
 
But the Cougars got it back about two minutes later, when Morrison scored her second goal of the game after a pass from Jordan Hill for a 3-1 lead in the 49th minute. Then a minute later it became 4-1 as Hill fed Macadangdang for her fourth goal of the game.
 
HPU rang up the scoreboard in the 66th minute on a goal by Gonzales with an assist by senior Emily Lemus of Fontana, Calif./Etiwanda to pull back to 4-2.
 
The Cougars iced the contest in the 84th minute on Koflanovich's goal from Macadangdang and Kaylee Nicoll for the 5-2 final.
 
The Sharks are back at it on Monday afternoon when they meet Biola at Al Barbour Field in La Mirada, Calif. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. HST (4 p.m. PDT).