The Concordia Women's soccer team used second half goals from Beth Stauffer and Christal Grazier to break a 1-1 tie and earn the Cavaliers the Cascade Conference Championship with a 3-1 win over the Western Baptist Warriors in a match played on a muddy pitch at Concordia University in Portland. Missy Clark had the other goal for the Cavaliers while KeriAnn Lawson had the lone goal for the Warriors.

Just ten minutes into the match, the home team had the first good scoring opportunity when a header from Missy Clark off an Aimee Wright cross was cleared off the line by Western Baptist's Cindy Hale. Five minutes later, the Cavaliers had two more good chances by Christal Grazier, but her first shot was right at Western Baptist goalkeeper Chrissy Cacioppo, and a second chance a moment later was put over the bar. In the 24th minute, the visitors had their first good scoring chance, but Paige Kuske's header was right at Concordia goalkeeper Shelley Butcher. One minute later, the Warriors had another good chance off a Kari Swenson header, but the shot was tipped just wide right by the Cavaliers goalkeeper.

Haley Regis and Cindy Hale fight for the ball

Wright's shot from the top of the box in the 27th minute nearly beat the Warriors keeper of a bad bounce off the muddy surface, and the keeper had to chase the ball down after she was unable to control it. One minute later, Amy Jackson had another good chance for the home side when she had the Western Baptist keeper too far out of the net, but her chip from 25 yards out was over the bar. In the 31st minute, a Western Baptist corner kick swerved dangerously into the 6 yard box, requiring Butcher to fist the ball out of the box.

But four minutes later, the visitors took the lead when KeriAnn Lawson hit a well-placed shot from 25 yards out at an angle that slipped just inside the left post, and Western Baptist had a 1-0 lead. The Cavaliers nearly evened the score just one minute later when a mis-hit clearance attempt off a Concordia corner kick went to the feet of Wright, but her shot at a mostly open net was well over the bar.

But the home side made their next opportunity count when in the 38th minute, a through ball from Tiffany Holtz to Clark had the Cavaliers striker in alone on the Western Baptist keeper. Cacioppo charged off her line but Clark was able to tap the ball around the charging keeper, and tapped easily into an open net to level the score at 1-1. The Warriors had the last opportunity to score in the half, but Sarah Riojas' header from 20 yards out in the final minute was just wide left, and the half ended with the teams level at a goal apiece.

Chrissy Cacioppo has to punch out this Concordia cross

The Warriors had the first good opportunity of the second half seven minutes in when Riojas' shot from 20 yards out was wide left. One minute later, the Cavaliers nearly took the lead when Jackson had a good look at the net from 15 yards out, but her low shot was cleared off the line by a Western Baptist defender. Over the next ten minutes of the match, the Cavaliers had several corner kicks, but could not put a shot on net from any of them. In the 64th minute, Western Baptist's Sheena Darling sent a header towards net, but as the shot dipped, Butcher smothered the shot to keep the score level.

But in the 68th minute, a mental lapse by the Warriors led to a go-ahead goal by the Cavaliers. A Cavaliers forward made a run down the right side and stumbled after being tripped by a Warriors defender. The assistant referee raised her flag to indicate a foul, but the center referee played the advantage and waived the play on. But the Warriors defender had anticipated a foul and stopped defending, and after a half-hearted attempt to clear that was thought to be a dead ball, the ball fell to the feet of Concordia defender Beth Stauffer, who shocked the Warriors defense by putting a shot into the left side of the net. The Warriors protested, but the whistle had never blown, and the home side had a 2-1 lead.

Grazier puts in this free kick to make the score 3-1 Concordia

The home side had the momentum now, and four minutes later Clark had an open chance in front of the net off a Noelle Miller corner kick, but the shot went wide right. In the 79th minute, Wright had another good look from the top of the box, but hit a shot wide left. But the Cavaliers put the match away in the 80th minute when Grazier's free kick from just outside the top of the box was curled perfectly into the top right corner, and Concordia had widened the lead to 3-1.

The Warriors nearly pulled a goal closer in the 83rd minute when Riojas had a chance to turn on a shot from just inside the top of the box, but her shot was right at the Cavaliers keeper and was easily saved. The visitors had no more shots on net and the Cavaliers could celebrate the Cascade Conference title with a 3-1 win.

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