Last year, the Concord Women's Soccer ended with an agonizing defeat to West Virginia Wesleyan in the final of the WVIAC Tournament.
The Mountain Lions and Bobcats played to a scoreless draw through regulation and two overtimes, before Wesleyan claimed victory and an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament with a 4-3 edge in penalty kicks.
This year, the Concord Women's Soccer season also concluded at the hands of the Bobcats, in Buckhannon, in the WVIAC final. Just with a different kind of unhappy ending.
Wesleyan dictated play from start to finish in defeating Concord 4-0 Sunday afternoon at Wood Street Field.
The Bobcats outshot Concord 15-4, including a 9-3 advantage in shots on goal. Wesleyan also attempted eight corner kicks to two for the Mountain Lions.
Wesleyan began the match on the attack and took the lead at 14:42. Brittany Clark guided a crossing pass to the middle and Ashley Dragos put the ball into the net for a 1-0 lead. It was the Bobcats' seventh shot and their fifth on goal.
WVWC extended the lead little more than three minutes later. Meghan Zayas bent a shot from the right, from just outside the penalty box, and it got past CU goalkeeper Kacey Hildebrand for a 2-0 advantage.
The Bobcats passed over the top of the Concord defense to add to their lead shortly before halftime. Zayas shot from right to left and recorded her second consecutive goal. Wesleyan led 3-0 at the break.
Katie Cuviello attempted Concord's first shot of the match 2:56 into the second half. But West Virginia Wesleyan removed nearly all further doubt by scoring shortly after that.
Jill Morrison fired a shot that Hildebrand blocked, but Morrison buried the rebound to lift the Bobcats to a 4-0 lead at 48:28.
Concord head coach Carol Bonnes was philosophical after Sunday's result.
"Some days just don't go your way, and that's what happened with us," the second-year coach said. "But, more than anything, I want to celebrate this team. The girls played their hearts out all season, and I thank them for it."
Concord, the #4 seed in the tournament, had defeated #5 Alderson-Broaddus and top-seeded Davis & Elkins to get to the final for the second straight season and the fourth time overall.
The Mountain Lions lose just two seniors – Cuviello and midfielder Morgan Scott – from this year's squad. Concord is expected to return 93% of its scoring and a strong defense for 2010.
