Cavs Strike in the Second Half to Capture CCC Tournament Title

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(PORTLAND, Ore.) - Down a goal at the half, Concordia’s found the net twice in a 15-minute span to defeat Corban 2-1 in the Cascade Collegiate Conference Tournament Championship held at Delta Park on Saturday.

With the win, No. 1 ranked Concordia improved to 18-0-2 on the season while Corban’s successful year ended with a 16-4-0 record with two of the team’s four losses against the top-ranked Cavaliers.

“Corban has a great team they are athletic and physical with some dangerous attackers. We knew it was going to be a hard contest. We played well in the first 20 minutes and had them on the ropes with several quality chances, but you look up and we were down a goal,” Landy said. “Our team responded well, like they have a lot this year when faced with challenges.”

In a near identical setting from the team’s previous matchup on Oct. 9, Corban generated an early lead as Audrey Sullivan capitalized from a CU miscue deep in the box. Sullivan fired a shot from 15 yards which was blocked by CU keeper Tori Talbutt. Taking the rebound, Sullivan fired a second shot before the defense could reset and found the net in the 26th minute of play.

Neither would replicate the feat the rest of the half as Corban took a 1-0 lead into the break with both sides tallying six shot attempts through the first 45 minutes.

After gathering a deflection after a shot attempt from Tahlia O’Loughlin, senior Kaitlyn Tebbs squared the match for Concordia in the 53rd minute with a drive from six yards out.

In the 68th minute, CU would get the eventual game-winning score from Lauryn Helmers, who converted a penalty kick after a Corban defender tackled a CU player in the 18-yard box. The PK was the second attempt for the Cavs as Brittany Orr soared a chance early in the match for what could have been the game’s opening score.

With the win, Concordia earned the CCC’s automatic bid into the national championships. The bracket for the NAIA National Tournament will be released on Sunday, Nov. 13. The Cavaliers will be making their 10th straight appearance to the event, tied for the second longest current streak in the NAIA.

“Every year it’s a different group of players and this has been a fun bunch to coach as they never give up,” Landy said. “The main goal is to get in to the tournament. The seeding can be helpful, but at the end of the day you have to simply win the games.”