Box Score




NAMPA, Idaho — The Crusaders never gave up, battling for their seniors and to spoil the Clan's postseason aspirations.

Unfortunately, two early goals by visiting Simon Fraser proved a bit too deep a hole to dig out of for the Northwest Nazarene women's soccer team, which fell 3-1 on "Senior Day" in Great Northwest Athletic Conference action at Finkbeiner Park on the NNU campus on Saturday.

"Their formation threw us in the begging and they scored two early goals and we so had to dig out of a hole, and we did in the second half, we were getting our way out of it and we were going at them," NNU head coach Mary Trigg said.

NNU battled back, outshooting Simon Fraser 7-6 in the second half and getting a reinvigorating goal from freshman Sydney Kuehn with just 9 minutes, 24 seconds gone in the second stanza.

Down just 2-1, the Crusaders (4-13-0 overall, 2-9-0 GNAC) kept fighting, looking to send off their three seniors — Kelsey Martin, Kayla Williams and Sarah Jenkins — on a high note with a victory over SFU that also would spoil the Clan's bid for a GNAC playoff berth.

But chance after chance missed the mark, or was turned away by Simon Fraser keeper Priya Sandhu, who made eight saves in the game.
 

NNU's keeper, Daniele Ortiz finished with seven saves.

The Crusader comeback eventually came up short as Christina Dickson iced the Simon Fraser victory with 1:34 left.

"I'd rather go out fighting so we were pushing everybody forward and that's how they got — at the end with a minute left — got the counter goal," Trigg said.

"We fought, we fought really hard," NNU's coach added, "I couldn't ask for much more."

The Clan (9-6-1, 7-5-0) jumped in front with goals in the 5^th and 12^th minute, sparking the Crusaders determined comeback effort.

Kuehn gave life to the comeback when she headed in a cross from Jenkins.

But that was the best NNU could do, giving a valiant, yet bittersweet effort on "Senior Day."

"It was a hard one for me today," said NNU's fourth-year coach who coached Jenkins, Martin and Williams all four years of their collegiate career.

"I told them it's their class that this program has been built off, their backs," Trigg said.

"They have given everything to this program and I couldn't ask for more from them."