Career-First Goal Sinks NCAA Tournament Hopes

LAKE FOREST, Ill. (11/15/14)--- Concordia accomplished their goal of shutting down the two Aurora players who had scored 45 goals on the year but it was a pair of players who had combined for two goals in their collegiate careers that put an end to the Cobbers' season in a thrilling 2-1 overtime game in the first round of the NCAA Tournament held in Lake Forest, Ill.

Concordia's game plan was to shut down the Spartans All-American forward Nicci Bermudes and All-NACC midfielder Brittany Roydhouse who had 11 goals heading into the national tournament. The Cobber defense put the clamps on the two high-scoring attackers all game long but in the end it was a goal in regulation off of a corner kick and then a career shot from 40 yards out that crushed Concordia's hopes of a fourth trip to the Sweet 16.

The game was a classic NCAA Tournament game with two evenly-matched teams going back and forth at one another. Each team would hold possession for extended stretches of time during the game which would lead to chances on goal.

The teams battled through 90 minutes of regulation with each team putting up one goal on the scoreboard. The game had the feel of a contest that would be decided in penalty kicks as neither defense was allowing the other team's offense to get behind them for a quality opportunity to score.

The deciding goal came off the foot of junior defender Alisha Oseguera who hadn't scored a goal in her two-plus year college career. In the fifth minute of the first overtime the ball was cleared from the top of the Cobber penalty area and landed on the foot of Oseguera. Oseguera, like a 30-goal scorer, didn't hesitate to fire the ball on net. She hammered a shot that went just over the outstretched hands of Concordia goalie Elizabeth Bitzan and dove just under the crossbar.

The "I can't believe she just did that goal" ended another successful season for Concordia. The Cobbers finished the year at 13-5-3 and earned their seventh trip to the NCAA Tournament. Aurora wins their first-ever NCAA Tournament game and moves to 18-3-1 on the season. The Spartans advance to take on host Lake Forest in the second round of the national playoffs.

Concordia started slowly in the NCAA Tournament game and conceded the first goal of the game in the 14th minute of play. After giving up a succession of throw-ins which led to a corner kick, Aurora was able to play the dead ball long past the back post. A Spartan attacker was free in the penalty area and played the ball towards the far left post. The ball eluded the pile of bodies in front of the goal and spun into the corner of the net.

The goal served as a wake-up call for Concordia who started to establish their presence in the middle of the field and had the better of the attack for the final 20 minutes of the first half. The best chance for the Cobbers was almost a duplicate of the overtime game winner. Concordia senior All-American candidate Libby Fransdal fired a shot from 35 yards that went over the goalie but instead of sliding under the crossbar it clanked off the metal bar and ricocheted away from goal.

Concordia carried their momentum over into the second half. CC was able to win the ball in the middle of the field and then spring players on the wing for a charge deep into Aurora territory. That middle-to-wide play led to the Cobber goal in the fifth minute of the second period. Laura Prosinski received possession of the ball in the middle part of the field – 45 yards out from goal. She then played teammate Emily Wendorff down the left wing.

Wendorff was able to turn the defender and then pound a serve across the face of the Spartan goal. With Concordia players storming towards the goal, one of the Spartan defenders deflected the ball into her own goal as she tried to play the ball clear of the net. Wendorff was credited with her sixth goal of the season at 49:12.

The game would then go back and forth for the final 40 minutes with whichever team that controlled the middle of the field being able to get players forward and get chances on goal.

Both teams had quality chances to win the game in regulation but the best opportunity came in the final five minutes of play. Bermudes was able to beat the CC defense on the right wing and she dribbled alone towards the Cobber goal. She fired a shot that was labeled for the right corner but Bitzan came up with a game-saving stop and turned the ball around the post.

The teams were almost even in shooting for the game. Aurora was credited with an 11-9 edge in shots on goal over the 94 minutes of play.

Fransdal had a team-high four shots on goal for the Cobbers. Bitzan finished the game with nine saves for CC.