Photo by Bob Palermini, www.palermini.com
Seniors shine as SOU routs Multnomah to clinch playoff spot
SOU Sports Information
ASHLAND – Southern Oregon celebrated its senior day in style with a 7-0 win against Multnomah on Sunday morning, getting highlights from a handful of individuals appearing at Raider Stadium for the last time and clinching a spot in the Cascade Conference Tournament for the 10th consecutive season.
Among the seniors in action, Kailey Lemon logged her seventh career shutout, Misty Martinez dropped in two goals, Mia Volpatti had a goal and an assist, and Maddie Casey distributed two assists to give SOU its highest-scoring output of the season.
The Raiders (8-5-2 overall, 5-3-2 CCC) secured their spot in the eight-team CCC Championships presented by U.S. Bank – which will be held Nov. 12-15 in Springfield – while moving up to sixth in the points standings with two games left to play.
They totaled 43 shots and finally got on the board when Casey passed to Martinez from the left corner for a five-yard strike in the 26th minute. Martinez struck again to give the Raiders a 4-0 lead in the 58th – marking her third goal of the season and the 11th of her career, and putting her among SOU's top-15 all-time goal scorers.
Volpatti's goal, a backwards tap from up close that was also set up by Casey, came in the 89th minute and put her at No. 11 on the Raiders' career goals list with 12 total.
SOU's freshmen accounted for the rest of the scoring. Michala Denn assisted Madison Childers' fourth of the season in the 41st, Sarah Mauk converted a penalty kick a minute before halftime and struck again unassisted for her fourth goal in the 81st, and Mauk hooked up Baylee Touey's team-leading eighth goal in the 76th.
Mauk's five-point game was the first for any Raider since 2015.
The shutout was SOU's third in a row and seventh of the season. Lemon stopped the only two shots the Lions (1-12, 0-10) got off. Two more seniors, Jazmin Shaffer and Aislinn Waite, protected the back line.
The Raiders will conclude the regular season in Washington, playing Evergreen next Friday and first-place Northwest next Saturday.