CCAC News
Posted by Rob Huizenga - Fri, Nov 16, 2007 - [ Women's Soccer ] - Viewed 300 times
Senior forward Lissa Coby helped lead Saint Xavier to the NAIA Quarterfinals Friday
Senior forward Lissa Coby helped lead Saint Xavier to the NAIA Quarterfinals Friday
Daytona Beach, Fla. – Senior forward Lissa Coby (Ingleside, Ill./Grant Community) assisted on two goals and set up the third to lead the ninth-seeded Saint Xavier University women's soccer team (19-3-2 overall) to a 3-1 win over No. 8 seed Savannah College of Art and Design (Ga.) in the second round of the 2007 NAIA Women's Soccer Tournament Friday at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach, Fla.  The Bees end their season at 12-4-1 overall.  With the victory, the Cougars advance to the NAIA quarterfinals Saturday for the first time in the program's 11-year history and will face No. 1 seed Lee University (Tenn.) at 12 p.m. EST.  

SXU took the lead with 8:37 remaining in the first half following a Coby corner kick.  SCAD was unable to clear the ball out of the box and after a scramble, freshman midfielder Carey Brown (Des Plaines, Ill./Maine West) got the ball at her feet, touched it just out of reach of a SCAD defender and rifled a left-footed shot that ricocheted off another defender and into the back of the net for a 1-0 SXU lead.  A free kick by Coby from the center of the pitch led to a header by senior midfielder Aleks Sudar (Omaha, Neb./Omaha Bryan) to increase the Cougar lead to 2-0 just nine minutes into the second half.

Coby won a midfield battle and played a beautiful ball to sophomore midfielder Jessica Martinez (Hickory Hills, Ill./Stagg) running down the right in the 68th minute.  Martinez took a couple of touches and lifted the Cougars’ third goal over the head of SCAD keeper Laura Hansen to seal the win.  SCAD got a goal back in the 74th minute when senior midfielder Maddy Minnis won the ball on the right side and got a cross off to freshman midfielder Melissa Hagerty, who headed home her third goal of the year.  SXU sophomore goalkeeper Danielle Wagner (Worth, Ill./University of Illinois/Stagg) finished the game with five saves in the winning effort.

Saint Xavier (19-3-2 overall) advances to face No. 1 seed Lee at 12 p.m. EST Saturday in Daytona Beach, Fla.  The Cougars already faced No. 1 Lee University (Tenn.) once this season, a tough 1-0 loss on October 18 at Bruce R. Deaton Memorial Field in Chicago.