Cavs Conquer Warriors; Advance in NAIA National Championships

11/23/2013 2:47:00 PM

Concordia 3, William Jessup 0?? Stats Comparison CU WJU Goals 3 0 Shots 23 3 Shots on Goal 12 2 Corner Kicks 9 0 Saves 2 9 Fouls 6 19 CU Leaders WJU Aldrich Ames Eckler 1 Goals 0 N/A Eckler 6 Shots 2 Eskenazi Aldrich Eckler 2 SOG 1 Butterfield Eskenazi 5 players 1 Assists 0 N/A Brock 2 Saves 9 Hutchinson Concordia Women's Soccer > Roster > Schedule/Results > 2013 Season Stats > CCC Standings > CCC Stats > NAIA Rankings

PORTLAND, Ore.—Dominating the attack throughout the match, Concordia University (Ore.) ousted William Jessup University (Calif.) 3-0 in the NAIA National Championship Opening Round on Saturday at Tuominen Yard.

Concordia, ranked No. 1 the past five weeks in the NAIA Coaches' Poll and competing as the No. 4 seed in the 31-team tournament, improved to 18-1-1 on the season. The Cavaliers will join 15 other teams at the final site of the tournament which will be held in Orange Beach, Ala., from Dec. 2-7. Concordia will play St. Thomas (Fla.) in the second round on Dec. 2 after the Bobcats defeated Hastings (Neb.) 1-0 in Miami Gardens, Fla., earlier on Saturday.
Like the match against William Jessup this week, next week's match will be against an unfamiliar opponent as Concordia has never faced St. Thomas.

Armed with the NAIA's top-ranked defense, Bobbi Eckler (Vancouver, Wash./Union H.S.)'s goal in the 28th minute was enough for the Cavaliers to punch its ticket to Alabama. Samantha Johnson (Hailey, Idaho/Wood River H.S.) delivered the entry pass on a free kick near the midfield stripe which Ashley Ames (Liberty Lake, Wash./Gonzaga Prep) headed towards Eckler. Without hesitation, Eckler, the CCC Newcomer of the Year, connected on a low driving shot from eight yards out for the 1-0 lead.

"We knew it was going to be a physical game but we are used to that. Our defense was organized and they kept good communication throughout," Landy said. "Offensively, we wanted to be patient and we attacked at the right moments instead of giving the ball away."

Outshooting the visitors 23-to-3 in the contest, CU added second-half goals by Ames and Maddie Aldrich (Spokane, Wash./Mead H.S.) for the 3-0 finish. Ames followed through on passes from Hannah Scott (Milwaukie, Ore./Milwaukie H.S.) and Hannah Kimsey (Vancouver, Wash./Columbia River H.S.) in the 52nd minute while Aldrich closed out the account with a close-ranged score after a touch by Annika Hayman (Redmond, Wash./Redmond H.S.).

The Warriors registered just two shots on goal though neither attempt proved threatening as easy scoops by CU keeper Olivia Brock (Olympia, Wash./Olympia H.S.) maintained the shutout. William Jessup was also shutout from generating a single corner kick while the Cavs sent in on nine occasions.

William Jessup, the California Pacific Conference champions, ends its season with a 14-7-0 overall record. Concordia improved to 6-0-0 while hosting the Opening Round of the NAIA National Championships.

With its NAIA-leading 15th shutout, CU's defense has allowed just 0.30 goals per match in 20 contests. The Cavs have now strung together eight straight shutouts (15 overall) and 796 minutes of play without allowing a score.

WJU goalkeeper Avery Hutchinson collected nine saves in the season-ending loss.

"I'm really proud of the group. There's only 16 teams left so we get to enjoy this one for a little bit but its right back to work," Landy said. "When you catch yourself looking too far ahead , that's when people take you out. Going into the next round, we will really have to perform well on both sides of the ball as every team that remains has a chance to win it all."