(Editor's note: RMC Athletics release)
SPRINGFIELD, Ore. – Eastern Oregon edged Rocky Mountain College 2-1 in the 2019 Cascade Collegiate Conference Women's Soccer Championship Friday afternoon.
It's Eastern Oregon's second title in three years and second in school history. The Battlin' Bears were playing in their first CCC Championship match in program history.
Scoring less than a minute into the championship match, the Mountaineers (15-2-2) established a lead almost immediately. Nan Kiebert knocked in the match's first goal off an assist from Morgan Farrington with just 59 seconds on the clock. Down early, the Battlin' Bears (13-4-2) trailed for the rest of the first period.
Struggling to find offensive opportunities at first, Rocky recorded just one shot through the first half while Eastern Oregon had seven.
In the 58th minute, Lauryn Gamache found the back of for the 50th time in her career with game-tying goal. Alyssa Schneider assisted.
The game remained for just over a minute before the Mountaineers responded with the final blow. Eastern Oregon's Jenna Jensen kicked in the game-winning goal in the 59th minute.
Eastern Oregon outshot Rocky 17-7 with six of Rocky's shots coming in the second half. Savannah Hutchinson had just one save and one goal allowed for the Mountaineers. Rocky's Maia Wetzel had six saves and two goals allowed.
Eastern Oregon joins Oregon Tech, the conference's regular season champion, as the CCC's two automatic bids to the 2019 NAIA Women's Soccer National Championship.
