Omaha, Neb., November 21, 2019 – Rocky Mountain College will face No. 18 ranked MidAmerica Nazarene tomorrow in the opening round of the 2019 NAIA Women's Soccer National Championship in Ohama, Neb.
The Battlin' Bears were one of 19 teams to earn an at-large selection in the 45-team NAIA Opening Round event. It is only the second trip to the NAIA Championship in school history for Rocky's women's soccer team. The Battlin' Bears' previous trip was in 2008 where the team lost 1-0 in double overtime against Simon Fraser University.
Finishing third in the Cascade Collegiate Conference during the regular season, the Battlin' Bears advanced all the way to the 2019 CCC Championship before losing 2-1 to Eastern Oregon.
Rocky is led by Rocky's leading scorer
Lauryn Gamache who surpassed the program's career points, career goals, and career assists records this season. The 2019 CCC Women's Soccer Co-Offensive Player of the Year, the senior forward from St. Louis, Mo. has scored a team-high 17 goals this season with a team-high five assists. She is ranked No. 26 nationally in the NAIA in total goals.
The Battlin' Bears second offensive threat is
Mhari Smith who has found the back of the net on six occasions in 2019 with two of those counting as game-winning goals.
The Battlin' Bears are ranked No. 7 nationally among NAIA teams in shutouts per game (.630) and No. 9 in total shutouts (12). This is due to the efforts of the team's goalkeeper
Maia Wetzel who is in the midst of a record-breaking season herself. The junior's 12 shutouts in 2019 counts as most in a season in program history. She ranks No. 23 in the NAIA in goals against per game (.750).
Tomorrow's match will count as the first ever between the two teams. MidAmerica Nazarene earned an at-large selection after finishing second in the Heart of America Athletic Conference with an overall record of 14-5. Much like Rocky Mountain College, tomorrow's contest will count as just the second season that the Pioneers have played in a NAIA National Championship.
MidAmerica Nazarene's 50 goals this season ranks them as No. 43 in the NAIA for total goals. Their eight shutouts counts ranks nationally as No. 47.
Maria Garcia has scored a team-high 12 goals for the Pioneers this season. Four of those goals have been game-winners which counts as 36th most individually in the NAIA.
Savannah Moxley also poses as an offensive threat with nine goals on the season.
The winner of tomorrow's match will stay in Omaha to play No. 12 ranked Midland University on Saturday at 2 p.m. (CT).
