By The Sports Department
KISSIMMEE, Fla. – Freshman Audrey Sullivan (Puyallup, Wash.) scored the game-winning goal with 11.9 seconds left in the first overtime period, as Corban’s women’s soccer team advanced to the semifinals of the 2010 NCCAA Tournament Wednesday via a 4-3 victory over Mt. Vernon Nazarene at Austin-Tindall Sports Park.
In a game that was completely controlled by the Warriors with a 28-6 advantage in shots and a 10-3 edge in corner kicks, Corban had to come-from-behind twice en route to securing the win.
Mt. Vernon Nazarene wasted no time in scoring its first goal, as the Cougars’ Amanda Woods took a pass from Jessica Estep and netted the game’s initial score a mere 29 seconds into the contest.
After falling behind early, Corban regrouped and got the equalizer in the 27th minute when sophomore Emily Tsugawa (Gladstone, Ore.) scored her first of two goals on the night via an assist from freshman Audrey Correa (Riverside, Calif.).
MVNU would answer back in the 30th minute when Estep scored an unassisted goal via a one-timer from 15 yards out that eluded a diving Warrior keeper for a 2-1 Cougar lead.
Mt. Vernon Nazarene would hold the one-goal advantage through halftime before Corban tied the game at 2-2 thanks to Tsugawa’s second goal of the night when she headed home a free kick off the foot of senior Genessa Neeser (Pocatello, Idaho) in the 47th minute.
Less than five minutes later, senior Katie Hanson (Salem, Ore.) would give the Warriors their first lead of the night when she drove home a pass from sophomore Brittany Bowman (Shelton, Wash.) in the 52nd minute.
Clinging to a one-goal lead, Corban began to play a little defensive and Mt. Vernon Nazarene would capitalize in the 87th minute when a Cougar attacker was pulled down in the box forcing a penalty kick with just under three minutes left in the game. Estep would calmly step to the circle and netted her second goal of the night, as she drove a low shot into the bottom right corner of the net just beyond the out-stretched reach of Corban’s net-minder.
Neither team would score again until the 100th minute when Sullivan got behind MVNU’s defense and received a pass from Tsugawa. With nothing between her and Mt. Vernon Nazarene’s keeper, the first-year Warrior calmly dribbled around a diving MVNU goalie and deposited the game’s final shot into the back of the net helping Corban secure a Top 4 finish at this year’s national tournament.
Overall, Corban would collect 14 shots in the first period, 11 in the second, and three in overtime. Meanwhile, Mt. Vernon Nazarene would unleash five shots in the first period, one in the second, and zero in the overtime session.
Freshman goalkeeper Alexis Beattie (Brea, Calif.) would register three saves for Corban en route to picking up the win, while Mt. Vernon Nazarene’s Jenessa Loewen would record a game-high 14 saves in the hard-fought loss.
With yesterday’s result, Corban improves to 17-4-0 overall and Mt. Vernon Nazarene falls to 14-7-1. The Warriors will return to the field today – Thursday, December 2nd – against the tournament’s top-seeded Cougars of Spring Arbor in a game that is scheduled to begin at 7:30 p.m.