Cavs Post Third Straight Shutout with 2-0 Win against Northwest

10/26/2013 4:07:00 PM

Concordia 2, Northwest 0?? Stats Comparison Concordia Northwest Goals 2 0 Shots 25 6 Shots on Goal 8 2 Corner Kicks 5 0 Saves 2 6 Fouls 11 10 CU Leaders NU Ames Scott 1 Goals 0 N/A Eckler 8 Shots 2 Johnson Huisingh 3 SOG 1 Johnson Stauffer Kimsey 1 Assists 0 N/A Brock 2 Saves 5 Hughes

PORTLAND, Ore.—With a goal in each half, No. 1-ranked Concordia earned its ninth straight win with a a 2-0 victory over defending CCC regular-season champion Northwest University at Tuominen Yard on Saturday.

With the win, Concordia (13-1-1, 7-0-0 CCC) clinched a first-round bye in the Cascade Collegiate Conference tournament. Concordia will next play at Northwest Christian University (4-10-1, 2-4-1 CCC) on Thursday, Oct. 31 with a chance to clinch the top seed in the conference tourney. Last season, NCU defeated the Cavs 1-0 in a double-overtime contest in Eugene.

Falling in a tie for third place in the CCC, Northwest, meanwhile, fell to 8-7-1 on the year and 4-2-1 in league contests. The Eagles will resume play at home against Oregon Tech on Oct. 31.

After early chances misfired, Concordia got on the board in the 12th minute of action as senior Hannah Scott (Milwaukie, Ore./Milwaukie H.S.) took a long solo run. Closing in on the 18-yard line, Scott turned to the middle of the pitch and fired from long distance into the upper corner of the net.

The score would remain 1-0 in Concordia's favor until the end of the half, though the Eagle managed a pair of opportunities to knot the match before the break. Tatyana Reveles took a long-ranged attempt with seven minutes remaining which sailed right of the post while a free kick by Shea Samuelsen with less than three minutes remaining ricocheted off the CU wall to setup up a dangerous attempt by Annie-Bryn Stauffer.

Stauffer one-timed a shot from 24 yards which CU goalkeeper Olivia Brock (Olympia, Wash./Olympia H.S.) managed a mitt on the strike on a dive to her right. Stauffer's drive then bounced off the right crossbar and cleared by the defense.

Bobbi Eckler (Vancouver, Wash./Union H.S.) nearly doubled the CU lead with a breakaway early in the second half only to be denied by Northwest keeper Patty Hughes.

Ashley Ames (Liberty Lake, Wash./Gonzaga Prep) finally gave the Cavaliers some breathing room in the 62nd minute of play by heading home a corner kick delivered by Hannah Kimsey (Vancouver, Wash./Columbia River H.S.). Ames lifted the long cross up over Hughes' reach.

The Eagles final chance to break the Cavaliers shutout came in the 57th minute as Acacia Johnson took advantage of a CU miscue and charged forward for a potential 1-on-1 with Brock. Reading the play early, Brock got to the ball first just outside the 18-yard line to clear away the threat.

"We are taking it one step at a time. This team is doing a good job of not looking too far ahead and today they carried out the game plan really well," CU head coach Grant Landy said. "Northwest did a good job of keeping it close early and they gained confidence as the game went on. Good teams are going to do that so that early goal by Hannah was big for us."

Overall, Concordia outshot the Eagles 25-to-6 and generated a 10-to-0 advantage in corner kicks.

"Our players have done a good job with their roles. In those 15-20 minutes off the bench they know they have the opportunity to make a huge impact in the game and they have shown that ability all year long," Land said.