CU's Adrienne Lommasson set up the game-winning goal in the 20th minute on a corner kick.
Cavs Advance to Alabama with 1-0 Win over Westminster
STATS - Concordia vs. Westminster
PORTLAND, Ore.—The Concordia women’s soccer advanced to the second round of the NAIA National Championships for the tenth straight season after beating Westminster 1-0 on Saturday.
“Our Achilles Heel has been putting together two solid halves and it was great to see the team come out and continue the intensity,” CU head coach Grant Landy said. “Our back line played great. Westminster has scored a lot of goals this year and we did a nice job of getting into passing lanes and limiting their chances.”
Concordia (16-4-1) didn’t have to wait too long for their lone goal, as Jackie Hendrickson converted in the 20th minute on the team’s first shot of the game. The play started with a corner from Adrienne Lommasson who sent the ball to Hendrickson at the top of the goal box. Hendrickson then directed the ball out of the air to the right corner of the goal for the score.
“A lot of these national tournament games come down to set pieces and I thought we had an advantage on corners and ended up taking advantage in that situation,” Landy said. “Adrienne (Lommasson) had a great service and, as always, Jackie (Hendrickson) was fearless in the air.”
Neither team managed much on offense in the first half after the goal as Westminster goalkeeper Dayna Winter-Nolte scooped up several crosses that had the potential to create something for Concordia.
Westminster (12-7-2) did get one shot on the Concordia goal when leading-scorer Margo Hickman broke free for a chance in the 43rd minute.
That would prove to be Westminster only shot of the game, though, as Concordia kept the ball out of their third of the field for nearly the entire second half.
The Cavs outshot the Griffins 13-to-0 in the second half and earned five corners compared to none for Westminster.
Concordia could have padded their lead early in the second half when a foul in the box got the team a penalty in the 48th minute. However, Lauryn Helmer’s shot grazed the crossbar and went high to keep the match at 1-0.
Still, the Cavs never struggled to control the ball in the period and iced the match with solid possessions throughout the half for the win.
Overall, Concordia outshot the Griffins 16-to-1 on Saturday and scored big advantages in shots on goal (5-to-1) and corners (8-to-0).
In goal, Winter-Nolte handled the barrage of shots well and saved four shots while allowing the one score. Meanwhile, Concordia’s Tori Talbutt saved the one shot on goal from Westminster to record her ninth shutout of the season and the team’s 12th.
Concordia, the No. 8 seed in the NAIA Tournament, will now face No. 9-seeded Spring Arbor (19-2-1) in the second round of the tournament, which will take place on Tuesday, Nov. 29 at 6:30 p.m. in Decatur, Ala.
Spring Arbor advanced to the second round after defeating Siena Heights 1-0 in their opening round match on Saturday.
The winner of the Concordia-Spring Arbor match will then face the winner of the match between No. 1-seeded Lindsay Wilson (18-0-2) and No. 16-seeded Oklahoma City (17-2-2), which also be played in Decatur, Ala. on Monday, Nov. 28 at 6:30 p.m.
“I’m hoping the returning group has learned something from last year. The seeding goes out the door when you get this far and you just have to focus on the next opponent. We are flying a little under the radar this year and I like that positioning with this group,” Landy said.