Jackie Pronovost and the rest of the Cavs moved on to the next round of the NAIA Championships.
Cavaliers Advance to Quarterfinals, Down Kansas Wesleyan
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla.—After taking 12 shots in the first period without a goal to show for their efforts, Concordia University struck for two goals in 10 attempts in the concluding half to handle Kansas Wesleyan in the second round of the NAIA women’s soccer national championship tournament played at Embry-Riddle University.
With the win, Concordia improved to 18-2-1 on the season and advanced to the NAIA quarterfinals for the third straight season while Kansas Wesleyan’s year came to an end after compiling a 21-2-1 record.
The No. 4 seed, Concordia received a bye in the first round and will take on the winner of Friday’s No. 5 Martin Methodist (Tenn.) and No. 12 King College (Tenn.) match on Saturday. Kickoff for the quarterfinal game is set for 11:30 a.m. PST.
Attacking a defense which has allowed only six goals throughout the season for a sparkling 0.26 goals allowed per game average, Concordia lifted 22 shots but couldn’t crack its opponent’s back line until early in the second period.
At the 51:56 mark with a play-in by freshman Sami Andrews (Camas, Wash./Camas H.S.), Kaitlyn Tebbs (Bend, Ore./Bend H.S.) pushed the ball past Lady Coyote keeper Kelli Beatty by connecting on a shot to the opposite side and finding the upper right corner of the net.
Just under 10 minutes later, the Cavaliers would double its advantage with a Shea Miller (Azalea, Ore./North Valley H.S.) header in the 62nd minute. Taking the ball directly from a corner kick by teammate Caitlyn Verhofstadt, the 5-foot-4 Miller outjumped the Kansas Wesleyan wall in front of her and angled the ball above a vertically stretched Beatty.
“We did today what we wanted to do today,” Concordia head coach Grant Landy said. “It took us awhile to get the payoff, but we came out very aggressively and dictated the play.”
For the match, Concordia generated nine corner kick opportunities while allowing two to the Lady Coyotes. Leah Flores (Vancouver, Wash./Columbia River H.S.) earned her ninth shutout of the season in goal for the Cavs after collecting three saves. For Concordia, it was the 15th shutout of the year, lowering its average to 0.42 goals allowed per game.
“Defensively, our numbers around the ball were the best we have played in over a month,” Landy said. “As for Saturday, We know the further you advance the harder the games get, but I certainly like the way we have been playing.”