LA MIRADA, Calif. -- No. 4 Concordia (Calif.) used a quick tally in the opening minutes and controlled play throughout the match, scoring a goal in each half en route to a 2-0 score to defeat No. 22 John Brown (14-4-3) this afternoon in the NAIA National Championships Opening Round in La Mirada.
Seeded 25th in the tournament, the Golden Eagles had to face the eighth-seeded Eagles of Concordia (17-0-3), the only remaining unbeaten team in the nation.
The match didnt start well for JBU as Concordia connected on a goal in the seventh minute to take an early 1-0 lead. CUIs Kendall Reekstin sent a through ball up the middle to a streaking Megan Daniels. Daniels took a single touch, firing a shot towards JBU netminder Kristen Morency. Morency dove to her right and absorbed the majority of the blow, but enough momentum remained as the ball trickled into the net.
John Brown couldnt get much done offensively in the first half as the Eagles held a 14-0 advantage in shots through 45 minutes. Morency was tested early and often, coming up with six saves in the first stanza.
The second half started similar to the first as Concordia needed only 35 seconds to double its lead. Lauren Nanez connected on a through ball to Amanda Koman at the top of the box. Koman ripped a shot past a sprawled Morency, notching her first goal of the season.
The Golden Eagles were able to secure four chances at the CUI net in the final 15 minutes, but Concordia keeper Jazmin Alvarez needed just one save as one JBU shot went wide and the CUI defense blocked the other two Golden Eagle chances at breaking Alvarezs shutout.
Morency (14-4-3) collected 11 saves in the losing effort, including a trio of acrobatic saves in the second half, deflecting top-shelf shots over the crossbar, to keep the score within reach. Alvarez (15-0-3) was called upon just twice over the match to come up with a stop as she collected her ninth clean sheet of the season.
Concordia held a 30-6 shot advantage, including a 13-2 margin in shots on target. Freshman Braydi Frederick posted one shot on goal while junior Adrienne Kennedy fired the other. Frederick finished the match with two shots while Kennedy, freshman Sara Lachance and juniors Casey OBrien and Laura Garcia each finished with one.
The loss ends the Golden Eagles season, forcing JBU into an 0-3-0 all-time record at the NAIA National Championships. The match marked the final collegiate game for seniors Alysan Burgbacher, Whitney Brannan and Laura Bradshaw. The seniors finished their four years with a combined 46-23-7 record, piecing together a .605 winning percentage since 2010.
