KIRKLAND, Wash. – Tiffany Taylor scored the lone goal of the match just five minutes into the second half, as Northwest University topped the College of Idaho, 1-0, at the NU Soccer Field.
The Eagles (6-8-1, 5-3-1 CCC) completed a weekend sweep, ending C of I's 6-game win streak and eliminating the Yotes from the Cascade Conference regular-season title chase.
The Lady Yotes (12-3, 8-2) held the run of the pitch for the majority of the rainy afternoon, getting quality chances from both Reilly Coyle and Aurora Ostolasa in the first 10 minutes of the match. NU countered midway through the period, as a Kortney Hudak blast clanged off the crossbar, as the two teams played to a scoreless first 45 minutes.
Taking advantage of a defensive bobble, Gabriela de Andreade capitalized, sending a through-ball to Taylor, who beat C of I keeper Brittany Houghton for the lone tally of the match. It snapped a string of 569 minutes without a goal allowed by Houghton.
C of I pushed the issue the final 40 minutes of the match – getting five corner kick opportunities and multiple dangerous chances – but could not solve NU keeper Lauren Patefield. The Yotes looked to have tied the score in the 66th minute, as a flurry off a free kick redirected the ball into the net – but a foul in the box on the Yotes negated the goal. Late chances by Erika Thompson and Jamiece Yizar just missed wide.
The Yotes held a 10-5 edge in total shots and had all six corner kicks in the contest.
The C of I loss, coupled with a Carroll 1-0 win at Oregon Tech, gave Carroll the CCC regular-season crown an automatic berth to the NAIA National Championships. A win in Monday's regular-season finale vs. Great Falls (in Hermiston, Ore.) would secure C of I the No. 2 seed in the 8-team CCC Championships.
Northwest closes out the regular-season next weekend with home matches vs. Corban and Northwest Christian.
