2020 Championship Central
OMAHA, Neb. – For the third time in four years, the top-seeded Denver Pioneers captured the #SummitWSOC Championship presented by U.S. Air Force Special Warfare, blanking third-seeded Omaha 3-0 Saturday at Caniglia Field.
It took less than five minutes for the Pioneers to stake themselves to an early lead as Kaityln Glover finished off a cross from Natalie Beckman in the 4th minute.
Glover's goal was her second of the tournament and marked the third straight game she provided the game-winning tally for her team. She would be named the Championship MVP for her goal-scoring prowess.
The Mavericks did not make things quite that easy as they nearly had the equalizer twice in the opening half on their home pitch. The first was when Sophia Green found the back of the net, but her apparent game-tying goal was negated after she was whistled for being offside in the 18th minute.
In the 35th minute, Omaha nearly converted a corner kick, but a header from Jordyn West went off the crossbar and the Mavericks were once again called offside in the ensuing scrum as DU goalkeeper Nerea Arrazola tried to clear the ball away.
Despite those near misses, the Mavericks did not get any of their four first-half shots on goal, while Denver turned both of its on-frame shots into goals.
The second came off the foot of Sami Feller, who converted a turnover after Maverick defender Margaret LaVigne slipped trying for a clearance. Feller quickly corralled the loose ball and fired a shot past a diving Mia Olesen in the 40th minute to give DU a 2-0 lead at the break.
DU added an insurance goal in the 54th minute when Sydney Sharp tallied her second of the tournament. Brittney Lewis found Beckman, who flicked the ball onto Sharp, who finished off the volley for her fifth goal of the season.
Beckman's first assist broke the Summit League single-season record for helpers in a campaign as that was her 13th of the season. The junior's 14th of the season broke the league's career record, giving her 29 in just three seasons with the Pioneers.
The Pioneers will find out their NCAA Tournament matchup Monday at Noon CT when the NCAA Women's Soccer Selection Show will be streamed live on NCAA.com.
All-Tournament Team
Teresa Fontenot, South Dakota
Abby Ostrem, South Dakota
Rachel Hewitt, South Dakota State
Adelaide Kline, South Dakota State
Grace Ostergaard, Omaha
Emilie Erland, Omaha
Grace Thede, Omaha
Sami Feller, Denver
Sydney Sharp, Denver
Nerea Arrazola, Denver
Natalie Beckman, Denver
Championship MVP: Kaitlyn Glover, Denver
Turning point
- For the second straight game of the tournament, Kaitlyn Glover opened the scoring, finishing a cross from Natalie Beckman in the fifth minute.
Inside the box score
- Glover scored in her third straight match, providing the game-winner for the Pioneers in each of those contests.
- Sharp also scored in both tournament contests, giving her goals in back-to-back matches for the first time this season
- Feller's goal was the eighth of the campaign, giving her at least that many in each of her three seasons.
- DU's defense did not allow a shot on goal and the Mavericks only got one shot off in the second half
News & Notes
- The tournament title is the fourth the Pioneers as a Summit League member, 11th overall and will be the team's 12th appearance in the NCAA Tournament
- Beckman's assist on Glover's opening goal was the 13th assist of her season, breaking the Summit League single-season record of 12 previously held by four players. Her second assist on Sydney Sharp's second-half goal moved her past Western Illinois' Ashley Hoch (2005-08) for the all-time Summit League lead in the category with 29
- This was a rematch of the 2018 #SummitWSOC Championship match that Denver also won via a shutout, blanking the Mavericks 4-0 in Brookings that season.
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