SALEM, Ore – The Corban University women soccer squad hosted the first of a two-game homestand on Friday, facing who would prove to be a formidable opponent in the (RV) Eastern Oregon University Mountaineers. Coming off a two-goal victory in the CCC regular season opener, the Warriors looked to carry some momentum over to today's matchup. What began as a sunny fall afternoon, ended in a gloomy evening and disappointing 2-0 loss for Corban. EOU spread the love, scoring a singular goal in both halves. The Warriors drew a blank offensively, and were outmatched in the shots comparison 18-1. The Mountaineers improve their stellar record to 6-1-1, remaining undefeated in conference play, whereas the Warriors fall below .500 with a record of 3-4-1.
Warriors' head coach Tim Kagey stated his feelings following the loss: "We had some strong individual performances, but we need to compete harder as a team. We will focus on being stronger as a group as we look forward to tomorrow."
The EOU ladies proved to be a physical bunch throughout the entirety of the match. Drawing a lopsided 21 fouls compared to Corban's nine, the Mounties' pressure spoke to the physicality experienced on the turf of the Outdoor Athletic Complex. The Warriors proved to stand their ground, lead by redshirt sophomore goalkeeper Jordyn Labajo. She recorded six saves and was a consistent presence between the goalposts all night. Corban also allowed only two of EOU's 18 shots to score, speaking to the defensive stand of the Warriors on possession after possession.
Eastern Oregon's sophomore forward Cassidy Harding broke the game open early, finding the back of the net with the clock at 11:51. Corban also had a chance to sink one, in their lone shot on goal. Fifth year forward Kelli Huskic came off the bench and led one of Corban's only offensive pushes, attempting a shot at 31:06. From there, the Mountaineers were on the attack till the final whistle blew.
Following a set of corner kicks, EOU junior Gracie Rainsberry played up from her midfield position and sunk a goal around Corban's defense. Corban tightened up their defensive unit, limiting Eastern's shots to a total of six in the second half. The Warriors stayed strong until the last whistle, with a physically exhausted but optimistic crew.
Reflected in coach Kagey's remarks, the Warriors had a couple strong individual performances. Sophomore forward Kate Dickson, senior midfielder Gabrielle Nakamura, and freshman defender Ellie Stickles all lasted the 90 minutes of action. Nakamura took pride in her defensive position, clearing the ball in multiple crucial moments that threw-off the attack from the Mountaineers. Corban's goalkeeper, Labajo, gave it all she had by recording six saves and fighting until the last minute.
Eastern Oregon had their fair share of talented performances. Goalkeeper Samantha Groesbeck held her own, recording a clean sheet and saving the lone shot on goal from Corban. Rainsberry recorded one goal and a team high six shots, while Harding also recorded a goal and dished out an assist. Samantha Jones is the remaining Mountaineer offensive highlight, assisting on Harding's goal in the first half.
The Warriors look to reset and recover following a tough loss in a brutal bout with the Mountaineers. To their disadvantage, they will have little time to do so, as the No. 9-ranked College of Idaho Yotes will arrive to round off game two of the homestand. The match is set to start at 4:30pm on Saturday, September 26th, once again at the OAC. Lucky for the Warriors, it is early in CCC play. A win or draw Saturday could point to the grit of the Warrior squad and provide them with the perfect confidence boost entering a four-game CCC road trip stacked with competition.
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