Nov. 20, 2007

Daytona Beach, Fla. - The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics 2007 women's soccer national champion will be crowned tonight. The Championship, hosted by Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (Fla.), is played at the Embry-Riddle Soccer Stadium. The final two teams will compete for the hardware at 7 p.m. (EST).

 

CHAMPIONSHIP PREVIEW:

• Game #17: No. 3 Azusa Pacific (Calif.) vs. No. 5 Martin Methodist (Tenn.), 7:00 p.m. EST

No. 2 Azusa Pacific University (Calif.) and No. 5 Martin Methodist (Tenn.) will meet to determine the 2007 NAIA Women's Soccer National Champion after each posted semifinal victories Monday night at the Embry-Riddle Soccer Stadium in Daytona Beach, Fla. Tonight's game will be the first-ever meeting between the schools.

Azusa Pacific defeated the defending champion and No. 2 seeded Lindsey Wilson 2-1 to avenge last year's historic four-overtime national championship match and advance to the title game. The Cougars enter the contest with a 20-1-1 record and are aiming for the second championship in school history. Tonight's game marks the fourth time since 1998 that Azusa Pacific has made it to the final two.

Martin Methodist is aiming for its second title as well. The Redhawks previous championship came in 2005. Martin Methodist defeated top-seeded Lee (Tenn.) 2-0 in the semifinals and will be playing in the championship game for the second time in the last three years. The Redhawks will play the underdog role and stand at 19-4.

CHAMPIONSHIP NOTES:

• Azusa Pacific is playing in the national championship game for the second straight year and the fourth time since 1998.

• Both schools have two national championships between them. Azusa Pacific won the 1998 NAIA championship, and Martin Methodist collected the school's first-ever national title in 2005.

• Combined with Azusa Pacific's 1-0 semifinal victory over Simon Fraser University in the NAIA Men's Soccer Championship Tournament in Olathe, Kan., Azusa Pacific becomes the first school in NAIA history to play for the men's and women's soccer championships in back-top-back seasons.

• Martin Methodist will be making their second trip to the championship game in three years.

• The championship final between Azusa Pacific and Martin Methodist is the first-ever meeting between the schools.

 

SEMIFINAL RECAP:

Game #17 - No. 5 Martin Methodist (Tenn.) 2, No. 1 Lee (Tenn.) 0

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - Sophomore Shannon Walter scored a goal in each half to lead the fifth-seeded Martin Methodist women's soccer team to a 2-0 upset of top-seeded Lee (Tenn.) in the first semifinal of the 2007 NAIA National Championship on Monday. The RedHawks, who are 19-3-1 on the year, will be making their second trip to the championship game in three years.

 

Walter netted her first goal in the 16th minute. The ball bounced around from team to team in the Lee box before it was finally collected by Sara Perrigan who got the ball to Walter just outside the six-yard box. With just the keeper to beat, Walter calmly slotted home her 14th goal of 2007 to give Martin Methodist the lead.

 

The RedHawks increased the lead to 2-0 in the 65th minute when Amanda Johansson ran onto a pass from Clare Sykes, took the ball to the touch line and got a low cross off to Walter in front of the goal. Walter tapped in her second goal of the night to seal the win.

 

Game #18: No. 3 Azusa Pacific (Calif.) 2, No. 2 Lindsey Wilson (Ore.) 1

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - Freshman Lynsey Domene assisted on the first goal and scored the second to lead No. 3 Azusa Pacific to a 2-1 upset of defending national champion Lindsey Wilson (17-3-3) in the semifinal round of the 2007 NAIA Women's Soccer National tournament on Monday. With the win, the Cougars (20-1-1) avenged last year's loss to the Blue Raiders in the title game.

 

After a scoreless first half, a set piece led to the break-through goal five minutes into the second frame. Domene took a corner kick from the left side and Randie Massaro finished it off with a header to give APU the lead.

 

Domene extended the Cougar lead to 2-0 with an unassisted goal, her seventh of the season, in the 69th minute. After Azusa Pacific won the ball after a short Lindsey Wilson goal kick and Domene was on the receiving end of a short pass. She took a couple of touches and buried a shot into the upper right corner to seal the win.

 

The Blue Raiders got a goal back with 11 minutes left in the match. Omolyn Davis took a free kick from the right side of the field, just inside the APU defensive half of the field. The ball fell to Kimmia Parker at point blank range in the box and Parker took advantage of being unmarked to score her 15th goal this year. But it was not enough to overtake the Cougars who advanced to their second straight national championship game.

 

2007 CHAMPIONSHIP SCHEDULE & RESULTS

 

First Round - Wednesday, Nov. 14

Game #1 - #17 McKendree (Ill.) defeated #16 SUNY Canton (NY) 2-0

Game #2 - #18 Southern Nazarene (Okla.) defeated # 15 Morningside 2-1 in OT

Game #3 - #14 Houghton (NY) defeated #19 Cornerstone (Mich.) 1-0

Game #4 - #13 Kansas Wesleyan defeated #20 Embry-Riddle (Fla.) 2-0

 

Second Round - Thursday, Nov. 15 and Friday, Nov. 16

Game #5 - #1 Lee (Tenn.) defeated #17 McKendree (Ill.) 1-0

Game #6 - #2 Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) defeated #18 Southern Nazarene 2-0

Game #7 - #3 Azusa Pacific (Calif.) defeated #14 Houghton (NY) 3-0

Game #8 - #4 Concordia (Ore.) defeated Kansas Wesleyan 2-0

Game #9 - #9 St. Xavier (Ill.) defeated #8 SCAD (Ga.) 3-1

Game #10 - #5 Martin Methodist defeated #12 King (Tenn.) 3-0

Game #11 - #11 Northwood (Fla.) defeated #6 William Jewell (Mo.) 2-1

Game #12 - #7 Carroll (Mont.) defeated #10 Point Loma Nazarene (Calif.) 2-1

 

Quarterfinals - Saturday, Nov. 17

Game #13 - #1 Lee defeated #9 St. Xavier 3-0

Game #14 - #5 Martin Methodist defeated #4 Concordia 4-2 on PK's

Game #15 - #3 Azusa Pacific defeated #11 Northwood 4-1

Game #16 - #2 Lindsey Wilson defeated #7 Carroll 2-0

 

Semifinals - Monday, Nov. 19

Game #17 - #5 Martin Methodist defeated #1 Lee 2-0

Game #18 - #3 Azusa Pacific defeated #2 Lindsey Wilson 2-1

 

Championship - Tuesday, Nov. 20

Championship final - 7:00 p.m.