RIVER FOREST, Ill. – On a perfect fall afternoon, the Concordia University Chicago (CUC) women's soccer team welcomed the Muskies of Lakeland University to Concordia Stadium. Showing their offensive prowess and creative attacks, the Cougars dominated the game, 4-0, picking up their second Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference (NACC) victory.
Before the game, CUC honored its seniors,
Luciana Morán Cruz (Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur, Mexico),
Izzy Fairless (Royal Oak, Mich.),
Quetzalli Arteaga-Vazquez (Harrisonburg, Va.),
Valeria Canelo (Chicago, Ill.),
Maggie Shultz (Lowell, Ind.), and
Julia Urbanczyk (New Lenox, Ill.).
Inside the Box
- The Cougars outshot the Muskies 33 to 1, with 16 shots on frame.
- Erika Flores (Oxnard, Calif.) led the team with two goals on five total shots and tacked on an assist.
- Alexa Martinez (Downey, Calif.) and Grace Chavez (Morgan Hill, Calif.) each scored a goal while Martinez also added an assist.
- Sofia Cazares (Rockford, Ill.) and Stacey Maskery (Alfreton, England) each contributed to the offense with assists.
First Half
- At the first whistle, it was clear that CUC was ready to prowl up the field and attack. However, a high defensive line from the Muskies caught the Cougars offside, making the Cougars readjust their buildup into the final third.
- In the 13th minute, after a corner kick for CUC, the squad kept the ball in the box and Elle Wheelock (Holland, Mich.) forced the first save of the day for the Lakeland goalkeeper.
- The Muskies found one opportunity to attack in the 21st minute, but Naomi Gonzales (Santa Rosa, Calif.) had an easy time making the save.
- CUC maintained possession and continued to chip away at the Lakeland defense. In the 24th minute, Urbanczyk had her low shot saved while Natalie Flores (Placentia, Calif.), E. Flores, and Cazares all took their own chances.
- The Cougars were finally rewarded in the 35th minute. The Cougars sent the ball across the field to E. Flores, who crossed the ball into the box. Cazares was there first and while her shot was blocked, it fell to Martinez who remained poised, touched it around the goalkeeper and passed the ball into the back of the net for a 1-0 lead.
- Less than a minute later, E. Flores dribbled the ball from half field past her defenders and sliced the ball past the goalkeeper to double the Cougars' lead.
- Cadence Hamby (Cumming, Ga.) came close to scoring at the end of the half but was denied by the crossbar. CUC entered halftime with a 2-0 lead.
Second Half
- CUC picked up right where they left off with a shot from Wheelock that was stopped by the Muskies' goalkeeper within the first minute and half of the whistle. N. Flores and Mia Hirayama (Mililani, Hawaii) also kept the Lakeland goalkeeper honest with shots on frame.
- In the 62nd minute, Martinez crossed the ball to the back post to an oncoming E. Flores, who headed the ball into the back of the net and made it 3-0.
- The Cougars continued to flood the final third with a barrage of shots at the net from Hirayama, Maskery, and Presley Alvarado (Oxnard, Calif.).
- CUC scored it's final goal of the game in the 69th minute. Maskery cut into the box and passed the ball to Chavez, who tapped the ball into the near post.
- The Cougars never let up, driving the ball up the field and creating dangerous opportunities. Hamby, Martinez, Arteaga-Vazquez, Morán Cruz, Alvarado, and Emma Schlismann (Joliet, Ill.) all had their chances to add to the Cougars' score. With seconds remaining, Schlismann's shot hit the crossbar, but the Cougars proved to be the stronger side all day and won the game, 4-0.
What's Next
CUC will welcome Aurora University to Concordia Stadium on Wednesday, September 30. Kickoff will be at 2:00 pm. Coverage for all things CUC women's soccer can be found at
cucougars.com/coverage.
