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DECATUR, Ala. – Fifth-seed Point Loma Nazarene suffered a lopsided 4-0 loss to No. 8 Concordia (OR) in the semifinals of the NAIA National Championships Friday afternoon at the Jack Allen Recreational Complex. The loss was just the second of the year for the Sea Lions which end the year with a 19-2-4 overall mark, the best record in program's history.
"It was a tough way to end an incredible season but it doesn't tarnish the fact that we had a great year," said PLNU coach
Tim Hall. "They [PLNU] proved to be a very good team this year. No doubt that Concordia deserves credit for taking care of business. They were the better team today."
The match was in peril almost from the start after the Cavaliers scored in minutes 15 and 19 with goals from Lauryn Helmers and Hanna Scott. After back-to-back double overtime games earlier in the tournament PLNU was running on wearly legs. The team struggled to get any offense going while Concordia was able to get beyond the Sea Lion defense with open looks on goal.
The Cavs struck again at the 40 minute mark with an Alex Blalock goal. CU's eighth shot of the first half by Jackie Hendrickson, at 44:37, resulted in the team's fourth score.
Point Loma managed just two shots in the opening 45 minutes of action, though none were on target. Up 4-0, Concordia wound down the clock over the course of the second half by keeping the ball moving at midfield.
The four goals were the most surrendered by the Point Loma Nazarene defense all season.
The Sea Lions didn't produce their first shot on goal until late into the second and by that time the outcome had been decided.
For the match the Cavs outshot PLNU 9-7 with an 8-3 shots on goal advantage.
"I am incredibly proud of the girls, they left everything they had on the field," said Hall. "Their effort inspired me this year. It was an honor to coach them; I have no complaints."
Concordia, which began the year 1-3, improved to 19-4-1 and will play the winner of the Lee/Azusa Pacific semifinal on Saturday at 5:00 pm (CST). It will be the third final for the Cavs in program history. Concordia came up short in the title games of 2004 and 2008.
The Sea Lions end the tournament as one of the third-place finishers in the team's final year as a NAIA member. PLNU will move to the NCAA DII in the fall of 2012.
