Corinne Tank (#23) scored her first-career goal for the Warriors in the 3-0 win over COI. (Photo Credit: Sheldon Traver)
SALEM, Ore. – Needing to win in order to secure a place in the Cascade Collegiate Conference (CCC) Tournament, the Corban University women’s soccer team did just that on Thursday afternoon at Warrior Field, defeating The College of Idaho Yotes, 3-0. It was a comprehensive performance from the Warrior women’s soccer team, earning its seventh shutout of the campaign en route to scoring three goals on the afternoon.
The victory moves the Warriors up into a tie for third place in the CCC standings with one match remaining for all teams on Saturday. College of Idaho now sits one point behind Corban.
After a fairly even first 12 minutes, Corban took its first real opportunity of the game in the 13th minute and scored when freshman forward Sadee Kallis (Yakima, Wash.) got behind the Yotes’ defense. Kallis had her initial shot saved by Brittany Houghton, but the ball rebounded right back to Kallis who then had an open look at goal, and she made no mistake as she put her shot into the back of the net. For Kallis, it was her team-leading fifth goal of the season.
The remainder of the first half did not produce too many good looks for either side, and at the halftime break, the score remained 1-0. The shot count during the first 45 minutes was even at 5-5, while College of Idaho (6-5-4, 3-2-3 CCC) actually owned the corner-kick edge, 5-1.
“In the first half, we looked like we were going through the motions, and it was a very even game, but a great goal by Sadee to put us in front was huge,” said head coach Marty Ziesemer.
In the second half, the Warriors came out of the gate and played as the aggressor for the entire stanza. Right away, Corban generated a number of opportunities, with multiple shots being saved off of the line.
Corban eventually reaped the benefits of all of its offensive pressure in the 58th minute of play when sophomore midfielder Corinne Tank (Shingle Springs, Calif.) received the ball after a COI clear at the top of the box. Tank took a couple of touches and blasted her shot into the top-left corner of the goal, doubling Corban’s advantage. For Tank, it was her first-career collegiate goal.
Sealing the CCC triumph 20 minutes later for Corban, junior midfielder Randi Donahue (Bellingham, Wash.) made a penetrating run through the Yotes’ defense, and she ripped a shot on goal. After her shot was initially saved, the ball went straight into the path of sophomore midfielder Karissa Stark (Castle Rock, Colo.) who finished the play off and put her shot into the back of the net to make it 3-0. For Stark, it was her first goal of the season and second of her career.
From that point on, the Navy and Gold stayed tight in the back defensively and maintained the shutout, resulting in the three-goal victory. Senior goalkeeper Kaitlyn Mendenhall (Windsor, Calif.) earned her seventh shutout of the 2014 campaign in the process, making four saves on the day. For the season, her goals-against-average now sits at 0.45 and her save percentage is at 0.896.
After the match, Tank talked about the great team win and her first-career goal in a post-game interview.
Corban outshot College of Idaho 18-2 in the second half and 23-7 for the match. Donahue led the way for the Warriors with six shots, while senior forward Sierra Brusven (Silverton, Ore.) racked up five shots.
“The second half was a whole different story for us,” commented Ziesemer. “We put the pressure on them, and we had more passion and more hunger in the second half, ultimately paying off with two beautiful goals. It was a great team effort from everyone on the field, and that is how we need to play moving forward if we are going to be successful.”
For the Yotes, it was Allie Boyd leading the attack with two shots, while five other players recorded one shot apiece.
With there being many different scenarios that could take place on Saturday, the Warriors know that if they win on Senior Day, they will guarantee at least a fourth-place finish in the CCC regular-season standings and the right to host a quarterfinal match in the CCC Tournament.
Saturday’s match features Corban (9-6-2, 4-3-1 CCC) and Eastern Oregon at Warrior Field at 1 p.m. Not only will there be a ceremony honoring the four Warrior seniors on Saturday for Senior Day, but it is also Breast Cancer Awareness Day at Warrior Field, so be sure to wear pink. If you cannot make it to Saturday’s match, be sure to follow via live stats and the live video and audio feed!