Freshmen Audrey Sullivan (left) and Abigail Van Hoogen (right) nearly put Corban on the board in the second half, but could not crack Holy Names' defense Saturday in the finale of the Phoenix Inn/Corban Classic.
Corban Drops First Game of Year Against Hawks
BOX SCORE
SALEM, Ore. – For the first time this season, Corban's women's soccer team lost a game with this one coming in the finale of the Phoenix Inn/Corban Classic against California Pacific Conference member Holy Names, 2-0, Saturday on Warrior Field.
Throughout the game, Corban controlled the offensive flow registering 16 total shots compared to the Hawks' 11 with the host Warriors earning numerous scoring opportunities in each half.
The opening half was a defensive battle, as neither team could put the ball into its opposing team's net. Corban had a few chances in the first half with freshman Rileigh Mankin (Manteca, Calif.) missing a golden opportunity, as her header off a Warrior corner kick was saved by Holy Names' keeper in the final minutes of the opening half.
Holy Names would finally get on the board in the 59th minute when India Pleasant teamed with Brittanie Perez for the eventual game-winning goal. The play began with the Hawks being awarded a corner kick along the near sideline. Following a perfectly placed pass from Perez that eluded a leaping Warrior net-minder, Pleasant put her foot on the ball directing it into the back of the net for the game's opening goal.
The Warriors would apply the pressure over the next 20-plus minutes and get a few scoring opportunities that included a golden chance for freshman Tera McDonough (Boise, Idaho), who nearly headed home the game-tying goal only to be denied by HNU's keeper.
In the game's 84th minute, Holy Names was awarded a penalty kick after a Hawk player was pulled down just inside the box. Perez would step up to the penalty circle and sent a shot just beyond the reach of a diving Corban goalie for a two-goal HNU lead.
Corban was led offensively by freshman Audrey Sullivan (Puyallup, Wash.), who registered a game-high tying four shots. Meanwhile, freshman goalkeeper Alexis Beattie (Brea, Calif.) registered a game-high tying five saves, but could not come away with the win for the Warriors.
Holy Names' Dani Miller would guard the Hawks' net throughout the game and registered a game-high tying five saves en route to securing HNU's first victory of the season.
With today's result, Corban falls to 5-1-0 overall and Holy Names improves to 1-1-1. The Warriors will be off until Friday, September 17th, when they play a neutral site game against Golden State Athletic Conference member San Diego Christian on the campus of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University beginning at 8:00 p.m. in Prescott, Arizona.