SPRINGFIELD, Ore. – The Cascade Collegiate Conference (CCC) Tournament, presented by U.S. Bank, begins tonight in Springfield, Ore., and the Corban University women's soccer team feels confident and capable as it prepares to challenge third-seeded College of Idaho under the lights of the Willamalane Complex this evening.
The sixth-seeded Warriors will face C of I at 8 p.m. PT in the CCC Quarterfinals, with a trip to the semifinals on the line.
Tournament Central
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College of Idaho (12-5, 9-3 CCC) defeated Corban (12-4, 8-4 CCC) by a 3-0 tally in the two teams' regular-season matchup on September 24 in Idaho. The two programs have been pretty evenly matched over the course of the past few years, however, as Corban boasts a slight edge in the series (five wins to four losses) dating back to 2013.
By all accounts, this Warrior team is the most successful offense the program has seen since 2013, boasting eight-year team-highs in goals (42) and points (109). The squad's goals-against-average currently sits at 0.87, which is on pace to break the program's current all-time season record (0.95) in the category.
Corban leads the CCC in points (109), points-per-game (7.27), and goals per game (2.8), serving as the conference's top offensive squad this fall.
A huge part of Corban's offensive success has come from its dynamic duo of Maria-Frances Serrant and Juliana Pires, who formulate one of the most talented attacking tandems in the CCC.
Serrant was just named the CCC Offensive Player of the Year, leading the conference in points per game (1.93), ranking second in the conference in goals (13) and points (29), and is as dangerous as any in the CCC grouping.
As if defending Serrant wasn't challenging enough, Pires ranks third in the CCC in goals with nine and points with 24, and second in assists (6). She was recognized on Monday as a First-Team All-CCC award-winner, and her and Serrant should find themselves in the heart of the action this week in Springfield.
Second-Team All-CCC honoree Chanel Garcia (four goals, one assist) and All-Conference Honorable Mention Klarissa Barajas (career-high seven goals, one assist) could also be huge contributors this week, and Mei Suetsugu, Jamine Biava, and Smith all have a trio of goals entering postseason play.
Makida Herbert will reprise her role in goal for the Navy and Gold, putting together a fantastic inaugural season with the Warriors. She has racked up seven clean sheets this fall, registering a 0.93 goals-against-average and notching 45 saves.
Defense has been the key for the Yotes this fall, who currently boast a 0.83 goals-against-average as a team, among the best of the conference. In net, Shae Waters and Hannah McFadden have platooned for much of the season, with Waters serving as the primary starter, and McFadden entering about midway through the game on numerous occasions.
Lily Schlake (eight goals, three assists) and Larissa Wegner (five goals, two assists) have paced C of I offensively, helping the squad average 2.19 goals-per-game this season. Schlake is a First-Team All-Conference award-winner, and Wegner received Honorable-Mention recognition.
Despite entering as the sixth seed, Corban feels more than capable of running the table this week, with the winner of the CCC Championships collecting the conference's second automatic qualification to the NAIA National Tournament.
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