Pacers End Eagles Run In Orange Beach
ORANGE BEACH, Ala. – The Northwest University Eagles incredible run in the NAIA Women’s Soccer National Championship came to an end today as No. 7 Northwestern Ohio shutout the Eagles 6-0, scoring three goals in each half in their semifinal game.
The Pacers defense held the Eagles without a shot in the first half while taking five shots of their own, building a 3-0 lead, on their way to their 20th shutout of the season. Camilla Andersen scored in the ninth minute off an assist from Kristin Tveit and then Klara Cahynova scored unassisted at the 25:01 mark. Bulgarian Evdokia Popadinova scored the first of her two goals in the 34th minute.
Popadinova scored again five minutes into the second half. The Pacers also got goals from Carla Garcia and Kristin Tveit to end the scoring and the season for the NU Eagles.
Freshman forward, Rylee Rassier tried to get the Eagles on the scoreboard in the second half with her two shots, both on goal, but UNOH goalkeeper Nadine Stonjek saved both attempts. NU’s Jalisa Santiago had a shot on goal which was saved by Tayla Gould subbing for Stonjek.
NU allowed 13 UNOH shots with 8 shots on goal. Lauren Hellum, senior goalkeeper for the Eagles, made two saves. Only four corner kicks were taken today, three by the Pacers and one by Northwest U.
Said NU had coach, Bryan Chud after the game, “We came up against a very good and well-organized team today, and I think the toll of a long and tough season caught up with us. This was a tough way to end the season, but I am incredibly proud of this group of young women. I told the ladies they had to look at the season as a whole and not as this game. No unseeded team as ever made it to the final four teams, so that in itself was a huge accomplishment. I would like to thank the seniors for leading the way this year on and off the pitch. For now we will take stock of what we have done and just enjoy it for a while before we begin to plan for next season. I couldn't be more proud.”
The Eagles road to the NAIA national tournament began on November 4 when NU upset No. 5 seeded Eastern Oregon and then turned away No. 2 seed Southern Oregon to put them in the CCC final and an at-large bid to the NAIA tourney. They then traveled to La Mirada, Calif., on Nov. 19 where they handed a 15-1-2 Biola team a 2-0 shutout sending them to the final site for the NAIA championship. On Nov. 29, NU scored another upset by beating No. 25 Ottawa in a shootout after a scoreless tie and two overtime periods. No. 17 Reinhardt was the next upset victim for the Eagles as the NU offense opened up for a 4-1 victory vaulting them into today’s semifinal with No. 7 Northwestern Ohio.