Women's Soccer | 11/28/2016 10:57:00 AM

Columbia, Mo. – On Tuesday afternoon the Columbia College women's soccer team will play in the second round of the 2016 NAIA Women's Soccer National Championships when they take on Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) College in Orange Beach, Alabama. The Cougars advanced to the final site of the national tournament for the first time in their five year existence after defeating Kansas Wesleyan University by a final score of 2-0 last weekend thanks to two second half goals from Molly Klein. Lindsey Wilson is the second ranked team in the tournament and advanced to the second round after defeating Point Park (Pa.) University 3-0 in the first round. The game is set to begin at 11 a.m. on November 29^th.

The Cougars have been playing great soccer all season long and have outscored their opponents 93-5 during the season. Flavia Rosado has been the key to Columbia's defensive success as she ranks second in the NAIA in goals against average (0.250) and has recorded 44 saves in 22 games. As a team, the Cougars rank first in the NAIA in total shutouts (19) and are currently riding an 11 game winning streak in which they have not allowed a single goal.

Despite being very sound defensively, it is the offensive side of the ball that has propelled the Cougars to their first ever second round appearance. As a team, Columbia ranks first in total assists (99), first in assists per game (4.500), first in shots per game (28.590), and second in total goals (93). They are led by Laurie Frew and Kelsey Mirts who have each scored 14 goals this season. Additionally, Kelsey Mirts ranks ninth in the NAIA in total assists with 12 and Katelyn Palmer is right behind her ranking 15^th with 11. These ladies may be the leader's statistically on offense but it has truly been an all-around team effort. Out of 24 field players on the roster, only five have not found the back of the net this season while eight players on the roster have scored at least five times. However, it is the unselfishness amongst this team that makes their offense click as 10 players have accumulated five or more assists on the year.

As for Lindsey Wilson, they come into this game with a 16-3 record and are currently riding a 14 game winning streak. The 2015 runner up holds the longest active streak of appearances in the championships, as 2016 will mark the Blue Raiders' 16th-consecutive appearance dating back to 2001. They are led by Yvonne Ploeg and Lyana Perez who each have scored 12 goals for the Blue Raiders this season. As a team, Lindsey Wilson ranks 23^rd in the NAIA in total goals (55) and 25^th in total assists (40) as they look to win their fifth national championship in their programs history.

The NAIA Network – the association's official video streaming home – will broadcast all 15 matches live at the 2016 NAIA Women's Soccer National Championship final site in Orange Beach, Ala. The video platform, powered by Stretch Internet, allows users access to live video, statistics, and social interaction on a number of devices, including mobile. Single day passes can be purchased for $9.95, while an all-championship package is available at $29.95. For more information and to pre-register, click here.