Women's Soccer Claims First Region Championship in Program History

OWATONNA, Minn.-- The Lady Rams soccer team got an early goal from Kalyn Zimmer in the fifth minute and a stout defense held out for the final 85 minutes to claim a 1-0 win over second seed Providence College. The win gave the Rams their first NCCAA Regional Championship in program history.

The Rams and Lady Freeman played an overtime thriller in Otterburne, Manitoba on September 26 which saw the Rams score three goals in less that four mintues to claim a 3-2 win. There was no such offensive display for either team on Saturday morning. Instead a goal by senior Kalyn Zimmer (Duluth, Minn.) on an assist from freshman Joelle Waskey (Scandia, Minn.) in the fifth minute would stand for 85 minutes and end as the game winning score. The shutout for goalkeeper Casey Lattu (Columbus, Wis.) would stand as her sixth of the year in what was the best defensive performance of the season for NCU. 

Zimmer ends the regular season with 17 points on six goals and five assists. The NCU defense lowered its goals against average to 1.41 and Casey Lattu lowered her personal GAA to a razor thin 1.38. NCU's 1-0 win is made even more impressive considering Providence came into Saturday's title game with the fourth best offensive stats in NCCAA DII (3.14 goals per game, 8.14 ppg) and had not been shutout during the season.

The win gives the Rams their first ever birth in the NCCAA DII Women's Soccer National Championship Tournament on November 14-17 in Kissimmee, Fla. The National Soccer Chair will be conducting the voting for national tournament seeding tonight and the schedule will be released tomorrow. Check back for more information.