Women's Soccer
10/27/2007 - Royals Defeat Sunbirds 1-0. Playoffs Next?
Fresno, CA- Freshman Marissa Hand scored the only goal of a rain soaked match at GSAC rival Fresno Pacific on Saturday as the Royals won 1-0. With the win, the Royals should be headed for post season play at the NCCAA National Tournament.
For the second time in three matches, the Royals (9-7-2, 3-6-1 GSAC) were out shot by their opponent but still managed a 1-0 win. The Sunbirds (7-6-4, 2-5-3 GSAC) out shot the Royals 16-6. However, Freshman Goalkeeper Rebecca Dixon was up to the challenge as she saved all 7 shots that the Sunbirds put on goal.
The Royals made the most of their three shots on goal, when Freshman Marissa Hand found the net in the 60th minute. Hand took a pass from fellow Freshman Kelly Galligan on the left side and knocked a shot into the far upper "V" of the goal. The goal was Hand's second of the season while Galligan picked up her third assist.
Jeanna Ruble, Ashley Sherr, and Mayra Garcia all had 3 shots for the Lions. Goalkeeper Justine Caldera only had two saves.
With the win the Royals finish their regular season. They should qualify for the National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA) tournament as the Western Regional representative based on the fact that they finished the season over .500, tied The Master's, beat Simpson, and finished with a better record than The Master's and Simpson. The NCCAA tournament is scheduled for November 16-19 in Kissimmee, Florida.