California Baptist University
The Master's University (Calif.)
How The West Was Won
11/13/2011 12:33:00 AM | Women's Soccer
RIVERSIDE, Calif. --- With the PacWest Championship already achieved this year, California Baptist University moved on to the next item on their season checklist.
And one goal was all it needed.
Recording their second shutout in as many games, the Lancers advance to the National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA) National Championship tournament with a 1-0 victory over The Master's College in the West Regional Final.
"It was certainly not one of our sharpest performances but to the girls' credit it was just a gutsy effort," Head Coach Kristen St. Clair said. "The Master's is a good team and great competition. The girl's did a really good job of getting the result we wanted and we are really excited to go to Nationals and compete for a National Championship."
In the 63rd minute, Lindsay Vesling put one away to the far post, receiving a leading pass from Kylee Nicassio, after the Mustang's goalie came out too far from her posts.
"It was a big time goal," St. Clair said. "It was a great run and Kylee [Nicassio] fed her [Vesling] a tremendous pass."
It was Vesling's fourth goal of the season.
CBU and The Master's forced a scoreless scoreboard heading into halftime after the Lancers failed to convert on several opportunities early.
"We got a little unlucky on a couple of finishes," St. Clair said. "We had some really good chances early. They didn't go our way but the girls went back to work and did not allow it to affect them. To their credit, they just kept playing and continued to create those chances and were rewarded for it."
Nicassio, who is just one goal away from tying the program's career scoring record, was the Lancer's shot leader with six. Fabiola da Silva, Mikala Gillis and Bernadette Witz each recorded a shot on goal for CBU, who outshot The Master's 15-8.
Goalkeeper Nicoline Jorgensen used her three saves to record CBU's 11th shutout of the season and the 12th in her career.
"At this point of the year, the players are playing for something pretty special. Not too many teams have an opportunity to play this late in the year," St. Clair said. "The players have worked hard to put themselves in a position to win championships. We have one more goal that we are going to be playing for and we want to play for that National Championship."
Improving to an overall record of 15-2-1, CBU will travel to Kissimmee, Fla. for NCCAA National Championships taking place Dec. 1-3.
