Doug Pfeiler

Pictured: team celebrates goal scored against Southern Oregon in regular season matchup

Women's Soccer 11/5/2026 2:00:00 PM Clayton Messerle, Assistant Athletic Director

CCC Women’s Soccer Tournament Preview – Warriors Eye Quarterfinal Upset to Begin Postseason Run

MEDFORD, Ore. – For a 23rd time in program history, the Corban women's soccer program will compete in the Cascade Collegiate Conference (CCC) Women's Soccer Tournament, as the seventh-seeded Warriors open postseason play Saturday morning against second-seeded Southern Oregon University in the quarterfinal stage at Lithia & Driveway Fields. The winner advances to Monday's semifinal round and moves one step closer to the conference's second automatic berth into the NAIA Women's Soccer National Championship.

The Warriors enter tournament competition with plenty of momentum after closing the regular season with one of the biggest victories within the conference this season. Corban stunned No. 16-ranked Rocky Mountain 2-1 in Billings on the regular season's final day, snapping the Battlin' Bears' eight-match winning streak, handing RMC their first true loss of the year, and securing the program's first CCC Tournament appearance since 2024. Despite being outshot 26-6 in that contest, the Navy and Gold found a way to earn a result against one of the conference favorites to claim the regular season crown, a characteristic that Kagey's squad hopes will translate into tournament success.

The victory over Rocky Mountain capped an up-and-down regular season for the Warriors, who finished 7-8-3 overall and 5-5-2 in conference play. While the overall record may not jump off the page, Corban consistently proved capable of competing with the conference's upper tier, narrowly falling to Southern Oregon 3-2 in Salem less than two weeks ago and earning victories over fellow tournament qualifiers Bushnell University and Rocky Mountain.

The Warriors' quarterfinal opponent will be a familiar foe. Southern Oregon secured the No. 2 seed after finishing the regular season at 11-2-4 overall and 8-2-2 in conference action, ending the year on a three-match winning streak. The Raiders rank among the NAIA's strongest defensive teams, boasting a 0.81 goals-against average that sits 22nd nationally while allowing just 13 goals all season.

When the programs met on October 24 in Salem, the Raiders escaped with a hard-fought 3-2 victory. That result demonstrated Corban's ability to challenge one of the conference's best teams, as the Warriors scored twice against a Southern Oregon defense that has routinely shut down opposing attacks throughout the season and led for a majority of the opening half.

Offensively, the Warriors are led by one of the conference's top freshmen in forward Haley Miersma. The first-year forward paced the Navy and Gold with six goals and 14 points this season, tying for sixth in the CCC in goals scored. Her efficiency has been particularly impressive, converting six goals on just 20 shots while recording a .300 shot percentage.

Corban's attack also features several additional scoring options capable of changing a match with a single opportunity. Sophomore forward Kate Dickson registered four goals and three assists, while redshirt fifth year senior Kelli Huskic added four goals and two assists despite often drawing the opposition's primary defensive attention. Senior midfielder Gabrielle Nakamura contributed three goals and two assists, converting all three of the Warriors' penalty-kick goals this season. Senior midfielder Olivia Fitzpatrick leads the team with four assists and serves as a key catalyst in creating scoring chances throughout the midfield.

Defensively, much of the Warriors' success centers around redshirt sophomore goalkeeper Jordyn Labajo, who has emerged as one of the conference's busiest and most reliable netminders. Labajo enters the postseason with a 1.11 goals-against average, a .843 save percentage, and 107 saves, ranking second in the CCC in total saves. Corban's 108 team saves also rank second among conference programs, showcasing the resilience of a defensive unit that has frequently absorbed significant pressure while keeping matches within reach.

The challenge awaiting the Warriors is substantial. Southern Oregon's attack is spearheaded by Tori Lasch and Ava Johnson, who each scored 10 goals and accumulated 22 points during the regular season. Brycelin Endrikat ranks among the conference leaders with seven assists, while goalkeeper Ashlyn Fuss owns a 0.74 goals-against average and was previously honored as an NAIA Defensive Player of the Week.

Across the remainder of the bracket, regular-season champion College of Idaho enters as the tournament's top seed after claiming its fourth consecutive CCC regular-season title. The Yotes will face eighth-seeded Bushnell, while third-seeded Rocky Mountain battles sixth-seeded Carroll College and fourth-seeded Eastern Oregon University squares off with fifth-seeded Northwest University in an immediate rematch of last week's final matchups across the Pacific Northwest. The tournament champion will earn the CCC's second automatic bid to the national tournament, unless College of Idaho wins the event, in which case the tournament runner-up would receive the berth as the conference's second representative.

Historically, postseason success has been difficult to come by for both quarterfinal combatants. While Southern Oregon and Corban are tied for the most CCC Tournament appearances in conference history with 23 apiece, neither program has ever lifted the tournament championship trophy. The Warriors will be seeking their first CCC Tournament victory since 2017 and looking to continue a season that has already featured several statement performances against nationally recognized competition.

Saturday's quarterfinal matchup between Corban and Southern Oregon is scheduled for a 10am kickoff at Wheeler Field in Medford. The winner will advance to Monday's semifinal round against one of three-remaining teams based on results across the quarterfinal stage.