Concord Set for MEC Championship Game Versus Notre Dame

Concord Stats - Notre Dame Stats - Live Stats - Live Video - Tournament Central - Spectator Policy

ATHENS, W.Va. – The Concord University women's soccer team plays in its third straight Mountain East Conference Championship Game Sunday afternoon when it hosts Notre Dame 1:00 p.m. at the YMCA Paul Cline Complex in Beckley, West Virginia.

LIVE COVERAGE
Stats: The Concord University Sports Information Department will provide live in-game statistics of Sunday's championship tilt.
Video: Live streaming video is also available for Sunday's contest.

RECORDS
Concord is 8-1 after Thursday's win over Fairmont State. 

Notre Dame enters Sunday with a mark of 5-2-3.

QUICK WORK
The Mountain Lions left little doubt that they would be playing in Sunday's MEC Championship Game after downing Fairmont State in the MEC Semifinals, 3-0, in a rematch of the 2019 MEC Title. Sophomore forwards Rachel Bell and Courtney Smith both scored in the first 26 minutes of the game to push CU ahead 2-0 before senior midfielder Yasmin Mosby recorded Concord's first penalty kick goal of the season in the 51^st minute. After leading the Maroon and Gray in goals in 2019, Bell recorded her first goal of the spring Thursday versus FSU. Smith scored in her seventh game of the season with her seventh goal while Mosby had her team-best ninth goal of the season. In the process, Mosby recorded her 60^th career point at CU.

HERE WE GO AGAIN
Sunday will be the fourth consecutive year that Concord and Notre Dame meet in the MEC Tournament with the three previous instances coming in the MEC Semifinals. NDC defeated the Mountain Lions, 2-0, in the 2017 conference tournament—when CU's current senior class were freshmen. Mosby tallied a goal in the 59^th minute of the 2018 MEC Semifinals to lift Concord to the win. Sophomore midfielder Michelle Brogden notched two assists on two corner-kick goals in the 2019 MEC Semifinals against the Falcons. The now-graduated Mira Kontio and junior forward Leah Foster were responsible for goals in the 73^rd and 81^st minutse. Three of the last four games between Concord and Notre Dame have been decided by one goal, including the Mountain Lions defeating NDC, 2-1, in the 2019 regular season on a double overtime goal from Mosby.

CHAMPIONSHIP GAME APPEARANCES
CU was downed in the 2018 MEC Championship by West Virginia Wesleyan in penalty kicks after a 110 minutes of scoreless soccer. The Mountain Lions defeated Fairmont State last season, 2-0, on goals in the second half by Bell and Mosby. Sunday will be the first time in program history that the Mountain Lions play in three consecutive conference championship games. From an MEC perspective, the only other team to appear in three straight MEC Championships is West Virginia Wesleyan (2013-15). Foster, senior defender Alyssa Mahar, Mosby and junior defender Leigh Wightman have all appeared in the previous two championships games.

NOTRE DAME AT A GLANCE
The Falcons earned their fifth appearance in the MEC Championship Game (2013, 2014, 2016, 2017) by defeating Frostburg State in penalty kicks, 4-3. Notre Dame knocked off West Virginia Wesleyan, 1-0, in double overtime in the opening round of the MEC Tournament. NDC is 2-2 in championship games with a penalty shootout win over Charleston in 2016 and a 1-0 win over West Virginia Wesleyan in 2014. The Falcons have scored just nine goals in 10 games, but have only allowed six goals. Ellie Gess has three of the nine scores for NDC. Gess also scored against CU in the 2019 regular season. Jordan Pasalaqua is coming off a 10-save game against Frostburg State, and has made 45 saves this season.