Wednesday, December 2
Decatur (AL)
11 a.m.
California Baptist University
1
vs
3
Concordia University (Ore.)
MUD ON THE TIRES
12/3/2009 1:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer
DECATUR, Ala. --- Back in late September when California Baptist University was sitting on top of the NAIA women's soccer world as the top-ranked team and had an 11-game unbeaten streak with ,wins over the then No. 1-, 2-, and 3-ranked teams, everything seemed to be lining up as if this were going to be the Lancers' year.
Then, in a matter of two games things began to teeter as the Lancers lost three starters, including the top two scorers, to season-ending injuries. For nearly two months, though, the Lancers fought through the adversity and kept it together nicely. But their 2009 campaign came crashing down Wednesday in a pile of mud.
Sixth-seed Concordia (Ore.) scored with three seconds left in the first half and went on to knock off the third-seed Lancers, 3-1, in the quarterfinals of the 2009 NAIA Women's Soccer National Championship at the Jack Allen Recreation Complex on a wet, windy and mud-filled afternoon.
“I'm incredibly proud of our effort,” said CBU Head Coach Kristen St. Clair. “They battled and pushed their way through, didn't give up and played to the final whistle, which is all we ask of them. When you consider some of the things this team went through this year, there was no quit in them all year long and certainly not today.”
The loss brings the Lancers' season to a close at 17-5-1, two games shy of their ultimate goal of playing for a national championship, but Wednesday's performance painted a perfect picture of the Lancers' season as they battled through plenty of adversity all the way to the final whistle.
Concordia (21-2-0) moves into the semifinals for the fifth time in the past seven years, and the win also avenges a loss to the Lancers earlier this year in Portland.
Steady overnight and early morning rain did no favors to the playing surface, which resembled a pig sty more than a soccer pitch and forced both teams to abandon their typical playing style that got them to this point.
“It was a great battle, but unfortunately the conditions made it difficult for both teams to play soccer today,” said St. Clair, “but we can't control those things.”
On a sloppy and soggy field unsuitable for a national tournament game, the Lancers and Cavaliers sloshed their way through 90 minutes of anything but soccer. Unable to pass and maintain any possession with effectiveness, both teams struggled to find any sort of rhythm.
The Cavaliers, though, were able to find the back of the net.
“We came up against some very difficult conditions today, but credit Concordia, they finished well,” said St. Clair.
Not that the Lancers didn't have their chances. They hit the crossbar twice, once in each half. Britney Quiroz nearly got the Lancers on the board in the 35th minute when she beat Georgie Christensen, but her rip grazed off the woodwork and was cleared from danger.
Later, with literally the final seconds of the half ticking away, the Cavaliers got the goal they needed when Alex Thomas served a ball from the end line into the center to a waiting Jessica Ramback, who easily beat a diving Emily Evanson. The stunning strike seemed to deflate the Lancers, who up to that point had out-shot Concordia, 7-3.
“You always want to go into the break either up or level at half, but we've been down a goal before,” said St. Clair. “We've shown that we don't panic when we go down. I don't think that goal was a heartbreaker, but we had to work that much harder in the second half, and we just didn't finish our chances.”
Concordia added an insurance tally in the 58th minute when Thomas got on the end of a cross, and then iced the game taking a 3-0 advantage with a 65th minute goal from Jackie Hendrickson, who gathered a loose ball off a deflection and lofted a 20-yard shot just over Evanson.
The Lancers were able to get on the board in the 88th minute when Jacquelyn Witz headed home a cross from Amanda Lammers, but it was too little too late, as the Cavaliers ran off the remaining minutes to secure the win.
CBU out-shot Concordia, 12-9, on the day, but Christensen came up with five saves for the Cavaliers. Evanson finished with a trio of saves.
Despite the difficult loss, the Lancers complete what is easily the best season in program history. They won a school-record 17 games. They became the first team to be ranked No. 1 in program history and held the spot for five weeks. They set a program-record with 13 shutouts, including nine straight. They picked up wins over No. 1 Lee, No. 2 Concordia and No. 3 Lindsey Wilson and then became the first Lancer team to advance to two straight national tournaments, advancing to the quarterfinals for the first time since 2003.
“You can't put a price on the experience we gained this year,” said St. Clair. “We went through every situation imaginable, and we're all better for it. We got better from the beginning to the end. There's no other way to say it other than that this was a tremendous season. My heart goes out the seniors, but they definitely put their stamp on this program.”
Then, in a matter of two games things began to teeter as the Lancers lost three starters, including the top two scorers, to season-ending injuries. For nearly two months, though, the Lancers fought through the adversity and kept it together nicely. But their 2009 campaign came crashing down Wednesday in a pile of mud.
Sixth-seed Concordia (Ore.) scored with three seconds left in the first half and went on to knock off the third-seed Lancers, 3-1, in the quarterfinals of the 2009 NAIA Women's Soccer National Championship at the Jack Allen Recreation Complex on a wet, windy and mud-filled afternoon.
“I'm incredibly proud of our effort,” said CBU Head Coach Kristen St. Clair. “They battled and pushed their way through, didn't give up and played to the final whistle, which is all we ask of them. When you consider some of the things this team went through this year, there was no quit in them all year long and certainly not today.”
The loss brings the Lancers' season to a close at 17-5-1, two games shy of their ultimate goal of playing for a national championship, but Wednesday's performance painted a perfect picture of the Lancers' season as they battled through plenty of adversity all the way to the final whistle.
Concordia (21-2-0) moves into the semifinals for the fifth time in the past seven years, and the win also avenges a loss to the Lancers earlier this year in Portland.
Steady overnight and early morning rain did no favors to the playing surface, which resembled a pig sty more than a soccer pitch and forced both teams to abandon their typical playing style that got them to this point.
“It was a great battle, but unfortunately the conditions made it difficult for both teams to play soccer today,” said St. Clair, “but we can't control those things.”
On a sloppy and soggy field unsuitable for a national tournament game, the Lancers and Cavaliers sloshed their way through 90 minutes of anything but soccer. Unable to pass and maintain any possession with effectiveness, both teams struggled to find any sort of rhythm.
The Cavaliers, though, were able to find the back of the net.
“We came up against some very difficult conditions today, but credit Concordia, they finished well,” said St. Clair.
Not that the Lancers didn't have their chances. They hit the crossbar twice, once in each half. Britney Quiroz nearly got the Lancers on the board in the 35th minute when she beat Georgie Christensen, but her rip grazed off the woodwork and was cleared from danger.
Later, with literally the final seconds of the half ticking away, the Cavaliers got the goal they needed when Alex Thomas served a ball from the end line into the center to a waiting Jessica Ramback, who easily beat a diving Emily Evanson. The stunning strike seemed to deflate the Lancers, who up to that point had out-shot Concordia, 7-3.
“You always want to go into the break either up or level at half, but we've been down a goal before,” said St. Clair. “We've shown that we don't panic when we go down. I don't think that goal was a heartbreaker, but we had to work that much harder in the second half, and we just didn't finish our chances.”
Concordia added an insurance tally in the 58th minute when Thomas got on the end of a cross, and then iced the game taking a 3-0 advantage with a 65th minute goal from Jackie Hendrickson, who gathered a loose ball off a deflection and lofted a 20-yard shot just over Evanson.
The Lancers were able to get on the board in the 88th minute when Jacquelyn Witz headed home a cross from Amanda Lammers, but it was too little too late, as the Cavaliers ran off the remaining minutes to secure the win.
CBU out-shot Concordia, 12-9, on the day, but Christensen came up with five saves for the Cavaliers. Evanson finished with a trio of saves.
Despite the difficult loss, the Lancers complete what is easily the best season in program history. They won a school-record 17 games. They became the first team to be ranked No. 1 in program history and held the spot for five weeks. They set a program-record with 13 shutouts, including nine straight. They picked up wins over No. 1 Lee, No. 2 Concordia and No. 3 Lindsey Wilson and then became the first Lancer team to advance to two straight national tournaments, advancing to the quarterfinals for the first time since 2003.
“You can't put a price on the experience we gained this year,” said St. Clair. “We went through every situation imaginable, and we're all better for it. We got better from the beginning to the end. There's no other way to say it other than that this was a tremendous season. My heart goes out the seniors, but they definitely put their stamp on this program.”
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