MEDFORD, Ore. – For the sixth-straight season, the Corban University Women's Soccer program has secured a winning record after completing their 18-game regular season and will have their eleventh-consecutive opportunity to battle for a tournament title as they enter the postseason and the quarterfinal stage of the Cascade Collegiate Conference (CCC) Championships, hosted in Medford for the first season at the Lithia & Driveway Fields facility. The Warriors will come face-to-face with the undefeated Yotes of No. 10-ranked College of Idaho, looking to shock the nation with a first round upset and keep their 2024 season hopes alive.
To view the CCC Tournament page, click HERE.
"It's been a very growing year for our Warriors, and I'm proud of the leaps we have made together," shared Warriors' head coach Travez Whyte. "We are excited we get to continue into the CCC Tournament as we showcase what the next level of our talents and skills can produce together!"
Until the dust had settled following the conference's final matchup on November 3rd, the final standings and seeding had yet to be determined, with the fourth and fifth overall seeds still yet to be completed settled. Since then, the Yotes were followed in order of No. 2-seeded Oregon Tech, No. 3-seeded Eastern Oregon University, No. 4-seeded Carroll College, No. 5-seeded Rocky Mountain College, No. 6-seeded Southern Oregon University, and No. 7-seeded Northwest University. The Owls will serve as the home team in southern Oregon against the Washington-based Eagles, the Mountaineers will clash with their rival Raiders, and the Fighting Saints will look to settle their 1-1 draw against RMC to begin conference play earlier this year.
The Navy and Gold clinched a playoff bid in their final regular season matchup against the fifth seeded Battlin' Bears in a 3-1 upset following their senior day festivities, as they completed the rigorous CCC slate at 4-4-4 (7-6-5 overall) to secure the conference's final seed. They have now won at least seven games in each of the past ten seasons and will have an opportunity to break through to the NAIA National Tournament for the first time since 2005 should they secure a CCC Championship next Thursday.
Corban women's soccer will attempt to slow down the CCC's highest scoring offense tomorrow morning, as the Yotes (14-0-2, 12-0-0) have averaged over three goals scored per game and hung six scores on the Warriors just three weeks ago in a shutout victory at the Outdoor Athletic Complex. They have remained and NAIA Top 25 team throughout the entire regular season and suffered only a pair of non-conference draw results to Ottawa University Arizona and No. 25-ranked UC Merced in early September.
To counter C of I's high scoring offense, the Warriors will look to CCC Newcomer of the Year Maya Alston and her team-leading eight goal on the season, as the freshman forward made her presence known in the opponents' backfield on numerous occasions throughout the year. Additionally, senior forwards Fatima Jimenez and Carley Ganchenko, who each scored four goals and assisted on two more throughout the season, will provide Alston and the remainder of the Corban attacking third with the support they need to crack through the Yotes' impressive defensive front.
Defensively for the Navy and Gold, either redshirt junior goalkeeper Catriona Burns or sophomore goalkeeper Ava Hayes could make the appearance in goal for Coach Whyte in their postseason debut, knowing full well that the defenders in front of them will limit both shot attempts and shots on goal. In 18 games played this year, the Warriors are averaging just over a goal and a half allowed per game, forcing their opponents to take errant shot attempts all match long and settle for long distance strikes in order to breakthrough the stout defensive presence.
At 10am tomorrow morning, the Warriors will partake in their second attempt to upset the Yotes this season and move into the semifinal round of the CCC Tournament, which can be watched live for free on YouTube by clicking HERE. Live stats are available as well and found HERE.
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