Box Score WICHITA, Kan. – After a brilliant display on Wednesday afternoon in Wichita at Stryker Sports Complex by the Southwestern College women's soccer team, they were tasked with a tough proposition on Saturday afternoon. The Builders faced the regular-season champions of the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference (KCAC) and No. 6 in the nation, Oklahoma Wesleyan University, in the KCAC Championship match of the conference tourney. It was a valiant effort by the SC side, but in the end, they fell by a 3-0 final tally.
"It was a tough loss," said head coach Joe Schwartz. "It was an awesome team mentality, though. The girls showed great heart and belief until the final whistle. I am proud of what we have accomplished this year, and what we will continue to do in the future."
In what was a battle where Southwestern did not give in, the Eagles controlled play for the most part.
The Builder ladies started into the game fearlessly and had the first shot of the game by Hailey Rouse. The shot was too far toward the center of the frame, and the goalkeeper was able to secure it. The game took a huge turn when the Builders goalkeeper Mallorie Lund mis-kicked a goal kick which landed right in front of the striker. Lund had no other choice than to take a foul right on the edge of the box and was issued a red card for the challenge.
Senior Ashley Soderlund took her spot between the pipes and was the main figure right away. Her two one-on-one saves were crucial for the Builders and kept them in the game. But she couldn't keep the ball out of the net when the Eagles striker struck it just inside the left post, making it 1-0 OKWU.
The tally was scored in the 18th minute of play, as the Builders played strong on the defensive end of the pitch to allow just the single goal in the first half. They also had another huge opportunity when Rouse crossed the ball into the box. She found Ana Llanos who was able to get the shot off but another good save by Oklahoma Wesleyan's goalkeeper kept Southwestern from equalizing.
The Builders came out of the halftime with a different game plan. They were sitting in instead off pressing the Eagles to save the remaining 10 ladies' energy for the final 30 minutes of the game. Soderlund helped their team with two huge saves but was helpless against the strong finish of the Eagles' striker into the left corner. Being down 2-0 and one player short on the field, Southwestern had a mountain to climb against the No. 6 squad in the nation. The Eagles continued to have promising opportunities but could only find the woodwork or Soderlund's hands.
The Moundbuilders tried to get back into the game, but an Eagles counterattack sent their striker through on goal. Soderlund tried her best to save the one-on-one but was beat into the corner of the frame. This tally made it 3-0 and sealed the game for Oklahoma Wesleyan.
The Moundbuilders were only able to muster four shots in the match, all four were on net. Hailey Rouse had two shots that were saved by Nerea Perez Mora, Ana Llanos and Paige Roberts each had a single attempt on goal.
Southwestern faced a massive number of chances by the Eagle attackers, as 34 shots were launched toward net, 11 of which got to Ashley Soderlund between the pipes. Soderlund did her best to keep SC even, saving seven out of 11 tries on goal for OKWU. Mallorie Lund recorded one save at the beginning of the game.
While it was not the result that the Builders had hoped for, they showed grit to stay as close as they did with the No. 6-ranked Eagles this season.
For the Builders (11-5-5, 7-1-4 KCAC) it will be all up to the selection committee who will choose the teams that will earn at-large bids for the NAIA Opening Round. The NAIA Selection Show will occur on Monday morning at 11 a.m. CT, and will be streamed live on the NAIA Facebook Live feed, which is linked in this story. The Builders have an outside chance of being named as an at-large participant, partially due to their 2-0 victory over eventual KCAC automatic bid winner Kansas Wesleyan on Wednesday afternoon.
--buildersports.com--
