MOBILE, Ala. -- Notre Dame's winning streak has found an end in “The Jungle.” The University of Mobile's ominously named soccer field was the setting for the No. 3-ranked Falcons' first loss of the season as they fell to No. 5 Azusa Pacific 2-1 on Friday night. (Box)

A lone goal by midfielder #Ashley Young# wasn't enough for the Blue & White to take down the undefeated Cougars (5-0) who played as if in their natural habitat. Azusa Pacific outshot Notre Dame, 21-15, hitting the goal a dozen times, compared to the Falcon's eight shots on goal. Particularly in the first half, the Californians dominated as they outshot Notre Dame 12-6. 

In a thrilling game that earned the NAIA's previous designation of “Game of the Week,” the Falcons, however, had the better start. Striker #Luke Holmes# missed a formidable chance when he put a shot wide from only six yards out (7.). 

Instead, the Cougars struck in the 14th minute when forward Vini Dantas converted a penalty. Moments earlier, the ball had struck midfielder #Tom Mellor#'s arm, leaving the referee no chance but to point to the penalty spot. 

For the first time in this young season, Notre Dame fell behind and was forced to find a way back into the match as Azusa took control. The Falcon defense particularly struggled with Dantas who tested goalie #Craig Pickering# five times. 

It took the Falcons 30 minutes of play and a halftime break to come up with an answer. Three minutes into the second period, Young equalized with his second goal of the season. After a failed clearance by the Cougar defense, the freshman hammered the leather into the top right corner from 15 yards out. 

With the game tied, Notre Dame seemed better equipped to answer the Cougars' attacks. Both teams fired six shots in the second half, but it was Azusa that broke the deadlock. With 12 minutes left on the clock, defender Brett Taylor beat Pickering with a lob for the game winner. 

Changing to a formation with three strikers, the Blue & White tried to force an equalizer in the final minutes of the match. Midfielder #Jack Fitzgerald# missed the Falcons' best opportunity when his 18-yarder was deflected over the crossbar by Azusa's goalie Tyler Stromberg (87.). 

Notre Dame's netkeeper Craig Pickering played the full 90 minutes and made nine saves.
Despite the loss against what he called “one of the best teams we ever played,” Notre Dame Head Coach #Michael “Mac” McBride# was satisfied with his team's performance. 

In yet another contest with an NAIA powerhouse, Notre Dame will take on No. 2-ranked Concordia (Calif.) tomorrow, Saturday, at 6 p.m. Concordia defeated Mobile 2-1 on Friday night. The Eagles are 3-1 on the season. 


NOTES FROM THE NEST… 

END TO A STREAK: Friday night's result marked the Falcons' first defeat in 15 straight games, excluding the loss on penalties against Main-Fort Kent at nationals. The Falcons' last defeat dates back to Oct. 10, 2008, when they fell to Ashland with the same score, 2-1. 

BAGGING CONFIDENCE: The Falcons travelled to Alabama with a good amount of self-confidence in their bags. On Tuesday, Notre Dame was bumped from No. 7 to No. 3 in the NAIA Coaches' National Poll. The Blue & White have gone 4-1 to start the season after coming in at No. 7 in the Coaches' Preseason Poll of Aug. 18. With the No. 3 ranking, Notre Dame has now been ranked in the Top-10 in six consecutive polls going back to last fall. 

FLEET-FOOTED GOAL MACHINE: A good portion of the Falcons' success can be attributed to striker Luke Holmes. On the heels of scoring both goals in a 2-1 win over a ranked NCAA-II Ashland squad on Sunday, the sophomore has been named the American Mideast Conference Offensive Player of the Week for games of Aug. 31-Sept. 6. The fleet-footed Englishman struck eight times in five games this season. Holmes scored a first goal three times, has two game-winners, one overtime goal (in the Ashland win) and one hat trick. Even more astonishing is his all-time record at NDC. Holmes has scored 25 goals in just 25 matches for Notre Dame. 

CALIFORNIAN COUGARS: There wasn't much that separated Notre Dame and Azusa Pacific before Friday night's match. Like the Falcons, Azusa entered the University of Mobile Kick-Off Classic with a 4-0 record, having won the four games by a combined 14-3 margin. The No. 5 ranked Cougars went a combined 74-11-7 over the last four seasons for a .804 winning percentage. Azusa competes in the Golden State Athletic Conference. Friday's NAIA Game of the Week was the first contest between the 2007 National Champions and Notre Dame.