Corinne Tank scored her second goal in as many games for the Warriors. (Photo Credit: Doug Pfeiler)
BOURBONNAIS, Ill. – The Corban University women's soccer team battled against No. 20-ranked Olivet Nazarene University on the road on Thursday evening, and after a hard-fought contest, the Warriors fell to the Tigers, 4-2.
"Apart from a few technical breakdowns that led to us conceding early, we performed well against a high-quality team that is ranked well nationally," said Corban head coach Likius Hafeni. "I am very happy with the way my team performed and what we learned from this game."
The Tigers went ahead in the 14th minute and then added another to make it 2-0 in the 23rd minute of play, showing just why they were ranked No. 20 in the NAIA preseason poll. Olivet Nazarene then made it 3-0 in the 28th minute, but Corban had a response ready.
Just over a minute later, Warrior freshman forward Annouscka Kordom scored her first-career goal for the Warriors to bring life back into the Warrior squad, and it was a goal to remember. After the Tigers tried to clear, the ball fell to Kordom 35 yards from goal, and she fired a laser into the back of the net to make it 3-1.
By halftime, Corban had actually outshot the home side, 12-11, and had four corner-kicks to zero for the Tigers.
In the second stanza, Corban almost cut the deficit to just one when senior forward Randi Donahue fired a shot towards the back post, forcing the Tiger goalkeeper to make a leaping one-handed save. Olivet Nazarene would then take advantage of the good goalkeeping, scoring not long after the save to make it 4-1.
Corban continued to fight, however, remaining persistent in the attack for the remainder of the evening. Thanks to some nifty play from sophomore forward Lexi McQueary, she was able to find senior forward Corinne Tank on the top of the 18-yard box, and Tank made no mistake, ripping a right-footed shot past the goalkeeper to make it a two-goal game.
The Warriors created a couple of more opportunities immediately after that goal but were unable to convert, ultimately resulting in the defeat.
For the match, Corban and Olivet Nazarene both tallied 22 shots, while the Warriors totaled five corner-kicks to just one for the Tigers. McQueary led Corban with six shots, while Kordom totaled three.
Corban (1-2) returns to action on Saturday, September 3, when it takes on Trinity International University (Ill.). Kickoff is set for 10 a.m. PST.