The Concord Women's Soccer team knew it would face a challenge in their WVIAC Tournament Semi-Final match Friday afternoon at Davis & Elkins.
CU would be visiting a Senators squad that had gone a perfect 10-0 in league play, was averaging 4.5 goals per match at home, led the conference in shots, points and assists, and had already beaten Concord, 2-1 in overtime, in their regular-season meeting September 23.
Consider the challenge overcome.
The Mountain Lions advanced to the conference final for the fourth time in program history with a 3-2 victory over D&E at River Bend Park in Elkins, WV.
Concord will play at West Virginia Wesleyan at 2:00 pm EST Sunday for the WVIAC title. The second-seeded Bobcats defeated #3 Wheeling Jesuit 2-1 Friday night in Buckhannon, WV.
The Mountain Lions broke out in front quickly on Friday. Nicole Dirnagl scored off an assist from Elin Torstensson, just 2:55 into the contest.
It was Dirnagl's fifth goal of the season and her second of the tournament. She also scored CU's first goal in Monday's 2-0 first-round win over Alderson-Broaddus at Anderson Field.
The Senators, who outshot Concord 10-3 in the first half, squared the match at 34:47. Meredith Greives scored, asisted by Sarah Fyock.
“Getting on the scoreboard early can sometimes make it feel like a long game,” Concord head coach Carol Bonnes said, “especially against a team like D&E that can attack in numbers. But we stayed within our game. We stayed aggressive.”
The Mountain Lions would reclaim the lead in the second half on Kelsey Ballard's unassisted goal, her 13th goal of the season, precisely 30 minutes into the second half.
"Kelsey had defenders on each side of her, but was able to make run," Bonnes said. "For her to make a play with that much pressure on her, and to still keep her composure ... it was a tremendous effort."
Concord scored again with 6:44 remaining in regulation. Kate Armentrout's got her 5th goal of the season, with the assist credited to Katie Cuviello.
Bonnes said the score resulted from the Mountain Lions' ability to control a key piece of real estate ... and that another Mountain Lion helped Armentrout find the back of the net.
“We had secured the midfield,” Bonnes said, “and our third goal was a direct result of our doing that. Katie got the ball out wide. She was able to make a run and drifted over to create space. She got the ball to the middle to Alyssa (Hessian), and Alyssa played a squre ball in the box. She got it to Kate, and Kate just buried it.”
D&E would pull to within 3-2 when Greives tallied on a penalty kick with :53 seconds left. But the Mountain Lions parried the Senators' late attacks to improve their all-time WVIAC Tournament record to 8-5 and set up a championship rematch with West Virginia Wesleyan.
The Bobcats defeated Concord on penalty kicks in last season's final, after the two squads played a scoreless match through regulation and two overtimes..
Concord's 2009 record stands at 12-6 after Friday's victory.
“Across the board, I've never been more proud of them,” Bonnes said after Friday's win. “Their heart, their effort … I'm proud of them all the way.”
Wesleyan won this season's regular season meeting with Concord on October 12. The Bobcats claimed a 2-1, double overtime victory at Anderson Field.
