ASHLAND – The Southern Oregon University women's soccer team ambushed No. 25-ranked Eastern Oregon to shake up the Cascade Conference title race and stay right in the middle of it on Friday at Raider Stadium.
The red-hot Raiders not only took down the Mountaineers but made a statement of the afternoon, rolling 4-0 behind
Sarah Mauk's two goals. They extended their unbeaten streak to six, one away from matching the longest in team history, while bumping their record to 6-4-2 overall and 5-1-1 in the CCC.
EOU (8-3-2, 5-2-1) had only given up three goals in its previous 11 matches combined.
The win was the Raiders' first this season and fifth in the last decade against an NAIA Top 25 opponent. It was also their most lopsided ever against a nationally-ranked squad.
They seized momentum five minutes into the matchup, when
Miller Bertani passed to
Baylee Touey on an advantage and Touey drew out keeper Madeline Barker before firing from right to left just inside the post. In the 27th minute, Barker bobbled a ball that she appeared to have a comfortable hold of and Mauk pounced on it, shooting uncontested to make it 2-0.
Gabbie Johnson took over in the 47th minute to further deflate the Mountaineers. First, she received an assist from
Mia Santander and took a deep shot 12 yards up the left sideline that went off the post an in. Seventeen seconds later, she crossed to Mauk from the same spot for an exclamation point.
Mauk's goals were her team-leading fourth and fifth of the season. Touey's was her third as she and Mauk tallied in the same game for the second consecutive outing. Johnson had never before recorded a goal and an assist in one contest.
SOU's back line held up to limit an EOU attack that had totaled 18 goals in its last four games.
Jessie Selby made five saves for her fourth consecutive shutout.
The Raiders have won four in a row and turned in five straight clean sheets as a team.
It'll get no easier when they return to the pitch at noon Saturday. They host No. 22 College of Idaho, which is now tied with Northwest (Wash.) in first place at 7-0-1 after scoring a 1-0 victory on Friday at Oregon Tech.
