CU's Alex Thomas gets by the Holy Names keeper to score her second goal of the day.
First-Half Spree Sparks Cavs in Corban Classic Opener
SALEM, Ore – Awarded on Tuesday with a No. 1 ranking in the Women’s Soccer Coaches Poll, Concordia responded with a dominant 4-0 victory over Holy Names University Friday afternoon at the Phoenix Inn/Corban Classic.
The first period was all the Cavaliers needed as they scored all four of their goals in that frame.
Sophomore Alex Thomas (Wilsonville, Ore./Wilsonville H.S.) scored two goals while senior Kaitlyn Tebbs (Bend, Ore./Bend H.S.) and junior Jackie Hendrickson (Colorado Springs, Colo./Rampart H.S.) each contributed a goal of their own.
Holy Names goalkeeper Sabel Maguire had a game-high 10 saves but was unable to come up with a victory thanks to a relentless Cavalier offense. The Cavaliers unleashed a total of 21 shots with 14 coming in the first period alone. In opposition, Holy Names managed only 11 shots.
The eventual game-winner came in 12th minute when Thomas was on the receiving end of a through ball sent by Tebbs. Thomas punched the ball in and Cavaliers were up 1-0.
Two minutes later, Tebbs scored her third goal of the season with a wide-open shot to the middle off a free kick coming from teammate junior Brittany Orr (Federal Way, Wash./Todd Beamer H.S.).
The Cavaliers continued to add to the scoring spread when in the 16th minute Thomas again found the back of the net after junior Jenna Peterson (Federal Way, Wash./Decatur H.S.) sent a through ball to her behind the Hawk’s defense.
Hendrickson scored the Cavaliers final goal of the game in the 35th minute when she rifled an unassisted 16 yard strike to the upper left corner of the net.
While the offense kept scoring, a stifling Cavalier defense continued to frustrate Holy Names throughout the game. They limited the Hawks to only three shots in the first half. Goalkeepers Tori Talbutt (Boise, Idaho/Capital H.S.) and Marie Burn Tacoma, Wash./Stadium H.S.) extended their shut-out streak to five games as they both made two saves each.
With the victory, Concordia improved to a perfect 5-0-0 on the season while Holy Names fell to 0-1-1. The Cavaliers will return to the field on Saturday afternoon to play against Golden State Athletic Conference member Fresno Pacific in their second game of the Phoenix Inn/Corban Classic on Corban University’s Warrior Field.