Mountaineers Take Down Golden Eagles in Opening Round of NAIA Championships
EOU Sports Information
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – No. 16/No. 2-seeded Eastern Oregon University Women's Soccer will keep on playing as the Mountaineers took down the No. 3-seeded La Sierra University Golden Eagles, 2-1, Thursday afternoon in the opening round of the 2020 NAIA Women's Soccer Championships in the Santa Barbara. With the win, EOU improves to 8-1-2 and advances in the NAIA Tournament.
How it Happened
• Playing a key role in the Mountaineers one-goal victory was a barrage of shots combined with stout defense. EOU finished with 19 shots total and had 10 come on goal. The Mountaineers limited the Golden Eagles (10-5-0) to just four shots for the contest with only one coming on goal.
• EOU wasted little time grabbing the game's first lead. Morgan Farrington got the ball at midfield on a pass deflection and got into the penalty area on the right side for the shot. She beat her defender and a hesitation move allowed her to fake out the goalkeeper and hit the bottom left corner of the net to put EOU ahead 1-0.
• The Mountaineers dictated the tempo throughout the majority of the first frame as they limited the Golden Eagles offense to just two shots in 45 minutes of action. Eastern had chances to potentially go ahead by more than one goal, but goalkeeper Ashley Villagrana made stops to keep the game close.
• The lead remained at 1-0 going into the break. On offense, the Mountaineers put up eight total shots and had five come on goal. Defensively, the two shots EOU allowed did not come on goal as the back line and midfield controlled the pace against the Golden Eagles. Both Mackinley Gregus and Kaitlyn McLeod led the way in shots taken with two, respectively.
• The second half was a battle as both teams found the back of the net. The Mountaineers still managed to control the tempo of the second frame, but a timely goal from the Golden Eagles midway through the contest made things interesting.
• La Sierra managed just two more shots in the second 45 minutes of play, but the lone one that came on goal found the back of the net. Alyssa Felix got through the defense and was able to elude Savannah Hutchinson, who came out and tried to stop the ball, for the goal on the empty net in the 62nd minute.
• The Mountaineers offensive pressure was bound to give way for a goal as the team put up 11 shots in the second period with five shots coming on goal. The barrage of shots paid off as McLeod found the back of the net in the 68th minute to put EOU back in front by one, 2-1.
• Helping McLeod score the goal was the quick passing of Kana Mateaki. She got into the thick of the Golden Eagles defense and found McLeod on the left side for the goal. The shot came not even five minutes after La Sierra tied the contest up.
• Defense and ball possession were key for Eastern, as the team continued to force the pressure on the defensive side to limit the Golden Eagles to just one more shot the rest of the contest en route to the opening round win. The Mountaineers were disciplined the whole game as they committed just three fouls while La Sierra had seven.
Mountaineers Stat Leaders
• Kaitlyn McLeod had the gamewinning goal and finished with three shots overall. She had two shots on goal in the win.
• Morgan Farrington netted the first goal of the game and had two shots overall, with both coming on goal.
• Kana Mateaki tallied one assist in the win on McLeod's goal.
• Mackinley Gregus took the most shots finishing with six and had one come on goal.
For the Golden Eagles
• Alyssa Felix netted the lone goal for La Sierra in the second period. She had just one shot for the contest.
• Mariah Anaya led the way in shots taken with two.
• Savannah Aborquil also had a shot in the loss.
• In net, Ashley Villagranna totaled seven saves in 10 shots faced.
By the Numbers
3 – The Mountaineers have now won three opening round games under Head Coach Jacob Plocher.
19 – The 19 shots taken by EOU on Thursday are the second most in a game this season.
10 – The 10 shots on goal by the Mountaineers ties a single-game high this year.
7 – Eastern has now scored multiple goals in seven games this season following Thursday's win.
3 – The Mountaineers tied a season best in least number of fouls on Thursday with three.
Quotable
Head Coach Jacob Plocher
On the team's offensive tempo: Our goal from the beginning was we wanted to attack and apply the pressure early against La Sierra. The team did a great job of controlling and possessing the ball. That composure allowed us to create a lot of opportunities and find the back of the net twice. Hopefully, going forward we can continue that type of pressure and find the back of the net a few more times on Saturday.
On the team's defensive pressure: We told the group to just stay composed throughout the contest and find feet when they were able to possess the ball. We were able to force the issue in the first 45 minutes and in the second we got a bit too relaxed which allowed La Sierra to score. Thankfully we know we can correct that issue and adjust ahead of Saturday's game.
On the goals scored by Morgan Farrington and Kaitlyn McLeod: Morgan did exactly what we wanted on offense which was to come out strong and press the ball. That early pressure paid off for us and she was able to find the back of the net in the first five minutes. For Kaitlyn, she has come strong for us lately on offense. We know what she is capable of and she just needed to build that confidence to pull the trigger. It was obviously big for us in securing the win. Overall, those two and the entire team played well for us today.
Up Next
• The Mountaineers advance to the Championship Game of the Santa Barbara bracket to face No. 4-seeded Oregon Tech. The Hustlin' Owls took down No. 1 seed and host Westmont (Calif.) 2-0 in the second semifinal game to advance to Saturday's final. Kickoff for the game is set for 12 p.m. PT on Saturday, April 17.