By Mike DeVader, NAIA
NAIA Game of the Week – No. 3
No. 2 Westmont (Calif.) (5-0, 0-0 GSAC) vs No. 1 Concordia (Ore.) (5-0-1, 0-0 CCC)
Friday, Sept. 12 | 4 p.m. PST | Thorrington Field |Santa Barbara, Calif.
Live Stats | Live Video – Provided by Westmont
• The top two teams in women's soccer collide in a showdown to claim the top of the mountain as No. 1 Concordia (Ore.) travels south to No. 2 Westmont (Calif.) in the NAIA Women's Soccer Game of the Week.
• It is the first meeting between the two schools since last year's national championship final, where Concordia tasted victory, 1-0, on Dec. 7.
• Both programs come into the game 2-2-2 all-time against each other.
• The Cavaliers remain undefeated in 2014, but lost their 22-game winning streak on Sept. 5 after tying No. 12 Vanguard (Calif.), 1-1 at home at Tuominen Yard. The draw left the team one win shy of tying former NAIA member Azusa Pacific (Calif.) for the second longest winning streak in NAIA history.
• In his 18th season roaming Concordia's sideline, 2013 NAIA Coach of the Year Grant Landy enters the match with a career record of 316-58-25 (.823), including 14-straight Cascade Collegiate Conference (CCC) championships and 13-consecutive trips to the national championship.
• In five seasons at the helm and a perfect start to the season, Westmont coach Kristi Kiely has upped her record to 54-22-10 (.686) as her club looks to avenge the heartbreaking loss from a year ago.
• As the Warriors look to stay undefeated on Friday, the team comes into the matchup already tested in 2014. Westmont beat two top-13 teams on back-to-back nights last week, with a victory over No. 13 Martin Methodist (Tenn.), 2-1, in overtime on Sept 4. A 2-0 win over No. 3 Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) followed the next day.
• Following an early-season stretch of back-to-back games with two goals, senior Warrior captain Malory Mitchell hopes to continue bringing the offensive firepower against the top-ranked Cavaliers. She leads the team in scoring with five of the squads 14 goals this season.
• The 2013 NAIA Championship Most Valuable Player, Jasmin Ayala (Simi Valley, Calif./Valley Christian H.S.), is primed to stop the Westmont offense. The Simi Valley, Calif., native is a key contributor to a Concordia defense that has only allowed four goals all season.
• The Warriors have almost a week off after Friday's game before they kick off Golden State Athletic Conference play with a home date against William Jessup (Calif.) on Sept. 20.
• Next up for Concordia is a neutral-site match against Kansas Wesleyan on Sunday. The Cavaliers have a few weeks before starting Cascade Collegiate Conference competition, as it begins Sept. 27 against Corban (Ore).