Streak Ends as Cavaliers Fall to Lee in NAIA National Championship

Jackie Pronovost Named NAIA National Player of the Year.

Salem-News.com Sports

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - The Concordia women’s soccer team felt defeat for the first time of the season with a 3-0 loss to Lee (Tenn.) in the NAIA National Championship game on Saturday.

Concordia finished the season with a 23-1-1 record while Lee concluded the year 22-1-1. Concordia entered the tournament as the No.5 seed while Lee advanced to the finale as the No. 3 seed.

Concordia senior defender Jackie Pronovost (Milwaukie, Ore.) was named the 2008 Brine-NAIA Women’s Soccer National Player of the Year. It’s the second such honor for a CU women’s soccer player with Caitie Davidson capturing the award in 2004.

Pronovost was also named a first-team NAIA All-American making her the fifth NAI women’s soccer player to capture four straight first-team honors. Twin sister, Justine Pronovost was named a second-team All-American. Four additional Cavaliers were named as NAIA honorable mention All-Americans: Jessica Ramback (Mill Creek, Wash.) and Caitlin Verhofstadt (Silverdale, Wash.) were named for the second straight season while Georgie Christensen (Hillsboro, Ore.) and Shea Miller (Azalea, Ore.) received the honor for the first time.

The NAIA title was the first for Lee, who also made the final in 2005. The Cavaliers, under the guidance of head coach Grant Landy, made its eighth straight NAIA tournament appearance and their second showing in the national title match in 2008.

The Cavaliers previously made the NAIA championship match in 2004 when they fell to No.1-ranked Lindsey Wilson 2-0.

Concordia controlled possession for the first 20 minutes of the first half with Lee playing patiently and waiting for a quick-strike counter attack. The patience would pay off in the 38th minute with Jamie Achton breaking down the right side of the CU defense and unleashing a 15-yard driving shot to the far post for her 22nd goal of the year.

Less than four minutes later, Lee would double their advantage with a score by Meg Willette. Keeping the ball on the attacking end, a Linn Christensen serve across the field found Willette where the senior forward headed the ball into left side of the net and out of the reach of Concordia goalkeeper Georgie Christensen at the 40:13 mark.

The Lady Flames would essentially ice the game with Tiffany Cox rattling the net in the 52nd minute with a 10-yard dart after receiving the ball from a feed by Achten to give Lee a 3-0 lead.

The Cavaliers tied the 2002 club for a school record after posting 23 victories. The team’s .940 winning percentage set a new school mark, erasing the same 2002 team that finished the year 23-3-0 for an .884 rate.

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