Concordia's Alex Blalock scored the lone goal of the match just 2:29 into play against Southern Oregon on Saturday.
Cavs Top SOU 1-0 in CCC Semis; Advance to CCC Finals against Northwest
BOX SCORE - Concordia vs. Northwest
PORTLAND, Ore.—The No. 6-ranked Concordia women’s soccer team gutted out a 1-0 win over Southern Oregon in a CCC Semifinal Match on Saturday.
With the win, Concordia advances to the CCC Championship Match where they’ll travel to face top-seeded Northwest at 1 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 10. If the Cavs win that match, then they’ll claim their 13th straight CCC title and automatically advance into the NAIA National Tournament for the 12th straight season.
The loss, meanwhile, ends the season for Southern Oregon, who finish 9-6-3 overall.
The Raiders did not go down lightly on Saturday as they held the Cavaliers to their lowest shot total (nine) of the season.
“These playoff games are going to be close like this,” said CU head coach Grant Landy. “It was the game we expected to get and fortunately we got a goal early that put us on top.”
The Cavaliers got their lone goal just 2:29 into the match on Saturday when Alex Blalock netted a pass from Hannah Scott.
“Alex and Hannah had been working together all week at practice, and I just had a feeling that they would combine for something today,” said Landy.
Scott started the play, as she dribbled across the top of the box towards Blalock on the right. Scott then pushed a ball up the near post that Blalock broke for and found 14 yards out. From there, Blalock squeezed a shot between SOU’s goalkeeper and the near post that fortunately found the net for the Cavaliers.
Blalock’s goal opened the scoring early in the match, though the teams would struggle to find offensive opportunities afterwards.
Concordia did not get another shot till the 21st minute of the match when Hannah Scott put a shot on frame that SOU goalkeeper Katelyn Allen saved.
SOU then earned its first shot of the match in the 25th minute when Megan McArthur put a shot up that the Cavaliers’ defense blocked out of bounds. SOU earned a corner on the play, but the Cavs cleared the ball with ease.
Another SOU corner in the 32nd minute would not go as smoothly for the Cavs though, as the Raiders created their best scoring opportunity of the night off of it.
Danielle Stave took the corner for SOU, sending a ball into a crowd in the middle of the box. A Concordia defender punched the ball out immediately, but another SOU player sent the ball right back into the scrum in front of the right post. That’s where McArthur found the ball, and McArthur tried to one-time the ball across the face of the goal to the far post.
McArthur’s quick touch caught CU goalkeeper Tori Talbutt off guard, but the shot went straight to Cavalier defender Jenna Peterson, who immediately cleared the ball out of the box.
SOU got one more shot before the end of the half, but it would not come as promisingly as McArthur’s shot in the 32nd minute.
Concordia then gave SOU no chance to score in the second half as the Cavs outshot the Raiders 6-1 in the second period. The Cavs did a particularly good job on SOU’s Stephanie Carr, the leading scorer in the conference heading into the match. Carr had just one shot in the match, and that came well away from the goal in the 39th minute of the match.
“Tonight might have been our best defensive performance of the season,” said Landy. “To limit their chances with the type of forward players that they have was outstanding.”
Saturday’s win will now give the Cavs a chance to avenge one of their two regular-season losses as they’ll face Northwest for the CCC Tournament title. Northwest beat Concordia 1-0 last Friday, Oct. 26 despite the Cavs outshooting the Eagles 20-3 in the match.
“I expect our team to come with everything they have next Saturday,” said Landy. “We’ll get out, have a good week of training and put our best foot forward against Northwest.”
Concordia and Northwest also played in the CCC Championship Match last season when the Cavs beat the Eagles 1-0 in their first match ever at their new home, Tuominen Yard.