PORTLAND, Ore.—With the top three teams in the NAIA taking the field on Thursday, the No.1 and No.2 ranked clubs came away with one-goal wins in women’s soccer action at the Cavalier Tournament held at Delta Park.

In the opener, No. 2-ranked Azusa Pacific (Calif.) defeated Canadian power Trinity Western 2-1 while top-ranked Lee University (Tenn.) defeated the host Concordia Cavaliers, ranked No. 3 in the NAIA preseason poll, 1-0.

 

 

Playing in the nightcap, No. 3 ranked Concordia University went toe-to-toe with the No. 1 ranked and three-time defending national champion Lee University Flames.

 

The Cavaliers outshot the Flames seven to five in the first half, but could not put in a goal while the Flames placed an early score in the seventh minute as sophomore forward Ashley Aragona found the net after several deflections off both teams’ players.

 

“It was a service ball we just didn’t clear out,” said Head Coach Grant Landy. “You hate to give up a goal like that in a game like this, but you got to give them credit for putting it in.”

 

The Cavaliers had several chances just before the half to level the game, putting up six shots in the last 16 minutes of the half, four of which were on goal. Two minutes after the half, Concordia had its best chance at an equalizer when they had the ball and an open goal, but freshman Jasmine Ayala’s header sailed over the crossbar.

 

Still, Landy was pleased with his team’s performance.

 

“For the end of August, I saw a lot of good things. They have some very dangerous attackers and I thought our defense matched up well against them,” Landy said. “A number of freshmen stepped up and played well in a big game. I wanted to challenge my team early on and when you play the No. 1 ranked team this early, you’ll have plenty to build on.”

 

Lee wound up outshooting the Cavs 14-to-9 after posting a 9-2 spread in the second half. Concordia held a slight advantage with five corner kicks compared to four for the Lady Flames.

 

Lee goalkeeper Leah Wilson picked up the shutout after collecting six saves. CU keeper Tori Talbutt saved five shots.

 

The Cavaliers will begin that building process in their next match against Trinity Western on Saturday, August 27 at 4 p.m. That game will follow a matchup of the No. 1 and No. 2 ranked teams in the nation in Lee University and Azusa Pacific University at 1 p.m.

 

Down 1-0 to Trinity Western University with less than 11 minutes left in the game, No. 2-ranked Azusa Pacific got the equalizer they desperately needed, sending the game into overtime with the score  1-1. The Cougars’ score came on a long cross from the right that traveled 40 yards in the air before meeting freshman Shannon Hardy’s head and landing in the upper left corner of the goal.

 

Junior All-American Natalie Sun got to work right away in the extra period, sending in a ball directly over the goalie’s head from 10 yards out, ending the game 2-1 before two minutes had elapsed in the extra period.

 

Trinity Western went up early in the second half off a corner kick that third-year defender Colleen Webber put in after a header from teammate Jennifer Castillo put the ball at her feet.

 

Azusa Pacific outshot the Spartans 17-to-11 including a 9-to-4 gap in the first half of play. The Cougars also earned three of the game’s five corner kicks.  Both teams tallied just four shots on goal with APU keeper Alexa Douglas recording the win with three saves.