Jobanek scores lone goal in WWU women’s soccer win

Travis Connell had no trouble explaining why his Western Washington University women’s soccer team is in the NCAA Division II Elite Eight.

“They were absolutely fearless,” he said, explaining top-seeded Western’s aggressive defensive style from the opening kick of top-seeded WWU’s 1-0 win over second-seeded Azusa Pacific to claim the NCAA West Regional on Thursday, Nov. 19, at Harrington Field. “The entire team was fearless.”

Western (20-1-1) will take a 19-game unbeaten streak into a national quarterfinal match at Harrington Field at 1 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 21, against Dallas Baptist (16-3-3), which won the Southwest Region earlier Thursday at Harrington with a 1-0 win over St. Edward’s.

Saturday’s winner will play in the NCAA semifinals Dec. 3, at the University of West Florida.

“The team deserves this win,” said Connell. “We ran through every tackle and challenged every ball.”

Connell said his defense received a huge lift when never-quit Caitlyn Jobanek, at 5-foot-2 tied as the shortest player on either side, alertly spotted an opening for an unassisted goal 5 minutes, 13 seconds into the game.

It was Jobanek’s sixth goal of the season and her fourth game-winner.

“That made such a huge difference,” said Connell, whose team won its NCAA opener 1-0 over Seattle Pacific five days earlier with a goal by Catherine Miles with about five minutes remaining.

This time, Miles, the team’s scoring leader with 11 goals, played what amounted to aggressive defense on the offensive end of the pitch.

Connell, who has Western in the NCAA tournament for the fourth consecutive year and seventh time in his 13 seasons, feels the team, which is ranked second nationally, has the potential to contend for the national title.

“I definitely think we’re good enough to contend, although we’ll have to play well enough to earn it,” he said. “Do they have the potential and ability to win it? Definitely.”

There was no doubt who dominated as the Vikings outshot the Cougars 19-7, including 12-3 in the first half as Western claimed its 14th shutout behind its stout defense and senior goalkeeper Ashley Haden. She was called on to make only one save but displayed her value with some truly booming kicks.

“I thought we stayed really poised,” said Western sophomore defender Sierra Shugarts. “Especially in the last 20 minutes, when it was a really hectic game.”

Sophomore defender Emily Webster from Sehome High, a rock as usual at midfield, “was awesome -- she’s always awesome,” Shugarts said.

Webster agreed about the team‘s poise.

“I thought we played pretty well, considering the nerves and what was at stake,” said Webster, who had to leave for six minutes about midway through the second half after a collision with an Azusa player. “But we have a lot of seniors (five starting seniors) to keep us calmer.”

Western has surrendered only 10 goals. Jobanek’s score was the Vikings’ 53rd goal in 22 matches.　

This story was originally published November 19, 2015 at 10:59 PM with the headline "Jobanek scores lone goal in WWU women’s soccer win."