Women's Soccer: Warriors Fall to Cougars, 3-2

The Warriors are next in action on Thursday when they host the 2007 National Christian College Athletic Association national runner-up, The Master's College.

Sophomore Jessica Matthews scored the Warriors' second goal of the game, but Corban succumbed to a pair of last minute goals in a heart-breaking loss to Mt. Vernon Nazarene on Tuesday. Photo courtesy: Corban Sports

SALEM, Ore. - The sophomore tandem of Marissa Walter and Jessica Matthews each scored a goal, as Corban's women's soccer team fell victim to a pair of last minute goals by Mount Vernon Nazarene and were defeated, 3-2, on Tuesday in the Warriors' home opener.

After a scoreless 37-plus minutes, Walter took a through ball from senior Sara Laughlin and poked the ball past a diving MVNU keeper and into the back of the net for the game's opening goal.

Laughlin began the play by taking the ball on the far sideline and dribbling through a pair of defenders before sliding a pass over to a wide-open Walter, who promptly put the ball into the net for her first goal of the season.

Clinging to a one-goal lead, the Warrior mounted the defensive pressure for a majority of the final eight minutes.

Unfortunately for Corban, its defense broke down in the final ten seconds and allowed Mount Vernon Nazarene's Jena Dickerson to head home a slow-rolling goal as the first half horn sounded to knot the game at 1-all heading into intermission.

A turning point in the game came exactly eight minutes into the second half with the scored tied at 1-all when Corban senior forward Megan Waunch gathered a through ball from freshman Erin Laughlin and beat a diving Cougar keeper only to find nothing but open green between her and the goal.

Unfortunately for the Warriors, Mt. Vernon Nazarene had a pair of defenders crashing hard on both sides of Waunch and forced the four-year player to shot a low line drive just wide to the right of the unmanned net.

Less than ten minutes later, the visiting Cougars scored the game's third goal when MVNU's Kristy Brandolini teamed with Kelly Sgambellone for her first goal of the season.

Sgambellone started the play with a through ball to an on-coming Brandolini, who shot from 15 yards out into the lower right corner.

Just over twelve minutes later, Corban tied the score at 2-all when Matthews took a pass from freshman Alex Paradis (La Quinta, Calif.) and netted her first goal of the season.

Paradis began the action with a mini-run down the far sideline before lofting a pass onto the foot of Matthews, who rifled a shot from 15 yards out that found that back of the net with just over 12 minutes remaining in the game.

With the possibility of its second straight overtime looming, Corban found themselves down at their own end with just over a minute to play and Mt. Vernon Nazarene attacking.

The Cougars scored the game-winning goal with exactly 60 seconds remaining on the clock, as Sgambellone teamed with Angie Misamore on a crossing pass that ended with a low dribbling shot past a diving Corban keeper.

Knowing that there was less than a minute remaining to force overtime, Corban attacked with everything that it had only to come up short in the end.

Corban out-shot MVNU by four shots (20-16), while both teams tied with 13 shots on goal.

Corban's junior net-minder Karyn Allen recorded a game-high ten saves, while MVNU's Jenessa Loewen equaled Allen's save total with ten of her own.

With the loss, Corban is now 1-1-0 on the young 2007 campaign.

Meanwhile, Mt. Vernon Nazarene improves to 1-1-0 on the season.

The Warriors are next in action on Thursday, August 30th, when they host the 2007 National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA) national runner-up, The Master's College, in the 2nd annual FAN-atic Soccer Under the Lights game beginning at 7:30 p.m. on Warrior Field.

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