Colleen Smith (in white) and the 20th-ranked College of Idaho Yotes host sixth-ranked Concordia Saturday at noon in Caldwell for the CCC Tournament championship and automatic berth in the NAIA Championships.
Yotes, Cavs to Meet in CCC Soccer Finale
PORTLAND, Ore. – College of Idaho, which is enjoying its second week ever in the NAIA Top 25 poll, will host Concordia, a team which has been in the NAIA’s Top 10 for 76 consecutive weeks, in the Cascade Collegiate Conference women’s soccer tournament championship game Saturday at noon MT in Caldwell, Idaho.
The winner will earn the conference’s automatic berth in the 32-team NAIA Championships, which get underway Nov. 21 with opening round games at campus sites.
College of Idaho (14-2) moved up two spots to 20th in this week’s poll, which was released Tuesday; Concordia (17-2), which has been ranked in the top seven all season, climbed one spot to the No. 6 position. The Cavs received one first-place vote.
The two squads shared the CCC regular season crown with 8-1 marks.
College of Idaho Notes:
• The Yotes have won a school-record 14 games and have posted C of I’s third consecutive winning season. Five years ago, C of I finished 1-16.
• This year marks the fourth consecutive playoff appearance for C of I, and its second straight CCC tournament title-game appearance.
• C of I has set school marks for goals scored (46) and shutouts (11).
• Erika Mouritsen ranks third on College of Idaho’s single-season goals scored list, with 13.
• Kelly Hardegree-Ullman leads the CCC in goals-against average (0.47). Hardegree-Ullman was the Yotes’ leading scorer last year but stepped in as the team’s goalkeeper this year when All-CCC keeper Sadie Hughes suffered an injury in September.
• The No. 22 national ranking on Oct. 27 was the first-ever for the Lady Yotes, who have received votes in every poll since September of 2008.
• College of Idaho’s overtime win over Concordia on Oct. 23 ended a 22-match losing streak to the Cavs and was the Yotes’ third win this season over a Top 25 team. It also snapped CU’s 41-game winning streak against CCC opponents.
Concordia Notes:
• Concordia leads all NAIA teams with 17 victories this season.
• The Cavs have been ranked among the nation’s Top 10 teams for 76 straight weeks. The last time CU was out of the Top 10 was Oct. 1, 2002.
• Jessica Ramback moved into the No. 2 position on CU’s all-time goal scoring list, with 67, passing Justine Pronovost. Ramback leads the CCC in goals (17).
• Of Jessica Ramback’s 17 goals this season, six have been game-winners, third-most in the nation.
• Sami Andrews ranks first in the CCC and eighth nationally in assists (12).
• Senior goalkeeper Georgie Christensen has a career 0.57 goals-against average; she also has been credited with 15 shutouts in 42 career matches.
• Concordia is 3-0 all-time against College of Idaho in postseason play.