Cavs Blank Yotes 3-0 for 9th Straight CCC Title
BEAVERTON, Ore.— After stringing together an undefeated conference season, the Concordia women’s soccer team capped its Cascade Collegiate Conference run with a 3-0 win over The College of Idaho in the championship match of the CCC tournament.
With the win, the fourth-ranked Cavaliers improved to 19-0-1 on the year, extending its winning streak to 18 matches. The conference title, which also nets CU an automatic berth into the NAIA Championships, is the team’s ninth straight CCC crown. C of I ends its season at 12-6-2.
Concordia will next take the field on Nov. 22 in the play-in game of the NAIA Tournament. Location, time and opponent for that match will be announced on Sunday by the NAIA. The winner of the play-in match will continue on to the second round of the NAIA championships held in Daytona, Fla., from Dec. 1-6.
“We’ve got to our second goal, which was to win the CCC and get to the NAIA tournament,” Concordia head coach Grant Landy said. “I’m extremely proud of the group for reaching that achievement. Now we turn to the dream for all these players which is to get to Florida and that is going to come down to one game.”
Playing in a constant downpour at the Tualatin Hills Park and Recreation Complex, the Cavaliers outshot the Yotes 14-to-2 with seven shots in each period.
Justine Pronovost got the Cavs on the board in the 6th minute of play after settling a corner kick sent by Angie Turner. After a touch, the senior forward sent the ball into the far post, past C of I keeper Sadie Hughes.
“Justine has scored so many first goals for us. She has a knack to step up in big games,” Landy said. “And her early goal was important as we wanted to make them chase us.”
The score would hold until the 28th minute of action as Caitlin Verhofstadt, the CCC assist leader for the second straight season, took an unassisted shot from 15 yards out for her first goal of the season to provide the Cavs with a 2-0 lead.
“Caitlin is such an unselfish player. She’s one of the best in the conference at serving dangerous crosses so it was great to see her get on the board,” Landy said.
In the second half, Shea Miller would connect for her 18th goal of the season after charging on a loose ball in the box. The conference co-leader in goals, Miller fired from 12 yards out to beat Hughes to the right side.
After not getting off a shot n the first half, Ashley Page and Allie Dufault each registered an attempt in the second, but the CU defense held the Yotes without a shot on goal to preserve the team’s 14th shutout of the season.
“Our four freshmen starters tonight (Jackie Hendrickson, Brittany Orr, Sarah Saldivar, Jenna Peterson) did an exceptional job in the back. They have stepped up to the challenges with two of our starters going down,” Landy said. “They have been one of the most consistent freshmen groups we have had.”
Georgie Christensen and Adrienne Hagen shared the goalkeeping duties for the Cavs with neither recording a save in the contest. The Cavs notched four corner kick opportunities in the match while C of I took two attempts. Concordia was issued nine fouls compared to eight for the visiting Yotes.