History Made: Mounties Advance to Final Site with 2-1 Win over Grace 11/17/2018 6:26:44 PM WINONA LAKE, Ind. – The No. 20 Eastern Oregon women's soccer team upset No. 15 Grace College 2-1 on the road Saturday afternoon in the opening round of the NAIA Championships. With the victory, the Mountaineers made school history with their first national tournament win and advancing to the tourney's final site for the first time in Orange Beach, Alabama. In cold and slippery conditions EOU (16-2-2) got off to a firing start when Cascade Collegiate Conference Offensive Player of the Year Taylor Boyer opened the scoring in just the fourth minute. The senior netted her 16th goal of the year when she ripped a shot outside the 18-yard box past Lancer goal keeper Bethany Blackwood. Later in the half, freshman Kaitlyn McLeod doubled the Mountaineers' lead just before half time. McLeod received the ball from senior Alexandria Cuaresma and made no mistake, slotting it home for her third goal on the season. "We were able to capitalize on an early mistake and finish another goal on a great shot from Kaitlyn," said head coach Jacob Plocher. It was a physical contest between the two sides, with 20 fouls committed across the 90 minutes. Although Grace College (18-4) was down 2-0, they kept attacking EOU's backline, outshooting the Blue and Gold 9-2 in the second half. The Lancers were given a glimmer of hope when they were awarded a penalty kick in the 83rd minute. Grace's Shelby Fort made good on the opportunity, cutting the Lancers' deficit to 2-1. However, they left their comeback too late and the Mountaineers defense was able to hold on and send the Mounties onwards in the tournament. Junior goalkeeper Cydni Cottrell led the defensive effort, racking up nine saves to keep EOU in front. The Lancers out-chanced the Mounties, holding a 21-7 lead in shots and 10-6 in shots on goal. EOU, however, was able to capitalize on its opportunities and give Cottrell clean looks at incoming shots. "I am so incredibly proud of how the ladies played today," said Plocher. "We are looking forward to getting to Alabama." With a CCC regular season championship and now the first national tournament victory, the Mountaineers will head to the NAIA Championships final site for the first time in program history. The final 16 teams will meet in Orange Beach, Alabama beginning on Nov. 26 with the national title game being played on Dec. 1. l The 2018 national championship final site bracket will be announced later Saturday on NAIA.org as EOU will discover its round of 16 opponent. For more information on Eastern Oregon women's soccer, follow @EOUAthletics or visit eousports.com. FOLLOW EOU ATHLETICS Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube Contact: Iain Dexter; 541-962-3946; idexter@eou.edu