Midland Athletics
Jeff Braun, Assistant Athletic Director
OMAHA – No. 14 Midland University secured the top-seed for the Great Plains Athletic Conference Tournament with a dominant 6-0 win over College of Saint Mary on Wednesday. The win, which clinches at least a share of the GPAC regular-season crown, also guarantees the team their second straight berth to the NAIA National Tournament Opening Round. The Warriors sit at 13-2-1 on the year and 10-1 in conference play with one game remaining and are three points ahead of both Jamestown and Hastings.
The seeding and site locations for the NAIA Women’s Soccer National Tournament will be announced on November 18 at 10:00 a.m.
Midland extended its winning-streak to 10 games and their defensive streak of no goals allowed has reached 630 minutes of play. The Warriors have outshot the opposition 140-25 during the stretch of shutouts, and junior goalkeeper Rachel Thigpen has brought her goals against average to 0.38 per game—fifth best in the NAIA.
The Warriors wasted little time getting on the board as Brittany Llanes scored on a breakaway in the fifth minute with the assist coming from Hannah Stewart. Midland continued to pepper CSM’s goalkeeper and doubled the lead in the 21st minute off the foot of Jericha Fox. A shot from Nayeli Rodriguez in the 27th minute would be turned away but found the foot of Fox as her second goal of the night brought the lead to 3-0. The defense was clicking on all cylinders as the Warriors didn’t allow a shot in the first half.
Llanes picked up right where she left off in the first half as her second goal of the contest extended the lead to 4-0 in the 57th minute. The Flames connected for their first shot of the night just seconds later, but Thigpen was there to collect her only save of the contest. Midland would send five shots to the net over the next 10 minutes before Rodriguez split the defense for her first goal of the game in the 69th minute. It would be Rodriguez again in the 77th minute as her 14th goal of the year solidified the 6-0 win for the Warriors. Midland outshot CSM 36-1 with a 7-0 edge in corner kicks.
The Warriors wrap up the regular-season on Saturday, November 2 as the team travels to Sioux Center, Iowa to face Dordt University. Dordt is 7-12 overall with a 5-7 record in GPAC competition.