ROCKFORD, ILL. – In a dominating Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference (NACC) opener, the Concordia University Chicago (CUC) Cougars took the road to battle with the Rockford University Regents (RU), securing the 4-0 victory.
INSIDE THE BOX
- The Cougars boasted a season-best 42 total shots on the day with nine corner kicks.
- Four separate Cougars scored goals in Natalie Flores (Placentia, Calif.), Mia Hirayama (Mililani, Hawaii), Alexa Martinez (Downey, Calif.), and Presley Alvarado (Oxnard, Calif.) with three different assists coming from Quetzalli Arteaga-Vazquez (Harrisonburg, Va.), Sofia Cazares (Rockford, Ill.), and Reagan Espinoza (Ventura, Calif.), who notched two assists on the day.
- Naomi Gonzales (Santa Rosa, Calif.) recorded the lone save on the day and helped provide the second shutout of the season.
HOW IT HAPPENED
FIRST HALF
- The Cougars got to work early and quickly with the first goal of the day coming in the first five minutes of play. Cazares would send the ball up the left side of the field and find Flores perfectly in motion to be able take a couple of touches past the Rockford keeper and find open space in the net.
- The Cougars would continue to play aggressively on offense with six consecutive shots, all with promising looks, before CUC would earn a free kick for another good look. Erika Flores (Oxnard, Calif.) would take the shot off the post and give way for a follow up opportunity for Cazares.
- The long defensive save from the Cougars would come in the 15th minute with Gonzales scooping up a ball on the ground. Some fresh legs would enter the game for the Cougars as they would continue to attack offensively. Shots from America Garcia (Las Vegas, Nev.), Cazares, E. Flores, and Espinoza would lead to a corner kick for the Cougars where a shot from Garcia would be deflected by the Rockford keeper, giving way for a second-chance shot from Arteaga-Vazquez would be deflected, sending the ball straight to Espinoza who would get one touch and put it in perfect position for a left-footed shot from Alvarado to find the left side of the net and put the Cougars ahead 2-0.
- The last goal of the half would come off a free kick about 30-yards out with Hirayama finding space in the upper right corner with less than two minutes remaining in the half, putting the Cougars ahead 3-0 heading into the break.
SECOND HALF
- The Cougars started the second half off right where they left off in the first half with aggressive attacks from their offense. E. Flores would take the first shot of the half within the first minute, followed by an immediate shot from Alvarado. The Regents would make some early substitutions in attempt to combat the raging CUC attacks, but CUC would continue to battle.
- A series of corner kicks for the Cougars would provide promising opportunities to score, but would find no success.
- The Cougar offense would continue to attack despite some aggressive Regent defense, a breakaway down the left side of the field would start with a well-placed ball from Cazares that Espinoza would get one touch on and then send inside the box where Martinez would drive in with her right foot and secure the Cougars last goal of the day.
UP NEXT
The Cougars stay on the road for their next game as they head to Milwaukee, Wis. to take on the Milwaukee School of Engineering (MSOE) on Saturday, September 19
th. Kickoff is set for 1:00 pm. Coverage can be found at cucougars.com.