This past November, the NAU soccer team played the role of Cinderella in the program’s first appearance in the NCAA Women’s College Cup. But unlike the princess who danced with her Prince Charming, the team did not find success as they were defeated by Portland, 6-1 in the first round. One year later, the Jacks returned to the NCAA tournament, but despite a strong effort, they fell 2-0 to Stanford in Palo Alto, Calif. on Nov. 12.

“Last year, the team was naïve, and they were scared to play Portland,” said head coach Andre Luciano. “But I think this year the team made it back to the tournament and believed they were as good as everyone else. Give Stanford credit because they’re a great team, but give our team credit too, because they played their hearts out.”

Stanford, the consensus No. 1 team in the nation, entered the game as significant favorites after going 20-0-0 in the regular season, but the Jacks were unfazed as they came out attacking the Cardinal from the get-go. In the first nine minutes of the game, sophomore forward Jenna Samora, junior midfielder Brandy Carr and junior forward Sam Monahan all took aim at the Cardinal goal but were unable to connect.

Throughout the remainder of the first half, the Jacks were forced to play defensively as the Cardinal repeatedly put pressure on the NAU backline. But Stanford could not capitalize on its 19-3 shot advantage, including four shots that hit the post, and the Jacks entered halftime at a scoreless tie.

“Going into the game, we knew they put up 70 goals in the season, so we knew we had to have solid defense,” said sophomore defender Georgia Foltz. “Coming into the second half, we knew they were probably getting their butts chewed out by their coach, so we had to buckle down even more.”

Just 35 seconds into the second half, Stanford jumped right back on the attack, but NAU’s sophomore goalkeeper Tori Rocke made a diving stop on a Cardinal header. However, in the 55th minute, the Cardinal struck with a goal from 25 yards out and took a 1-0 lead. Stanford then increased its lead to 2-0 in the 67th minute, and held off the Jacks with a relentless offensive attack and strong defensive play.

“We were more prepared this time,” Rocke said. “Last year, we weren’t sure what to expect because it was our first time [making the NCAA tournament]. But this year we cracked down because we knew how important these games are.”

Despite being tied at 3-3 in shots through the first nine minutes of the game, the Jacks
failed to attempt another shot as Stanford rattled off 34 consecutive shots in the final 81 minutes of the game. But with Rocke — who made a season-high nine saves — anchoring the Jacks’ backline, the Jacks held the nation’s highest scoring offense to only two goals on 37 shots.

“Tori played awesome,” Luciano said. “Between Tori’s saves and the team’s saves, it was an overall team defensive effort.”

Although the Jacks’ season came to an end with the loss, senior forward Sarah Neatherton, who played her final game as a Lumberjack, believes the team will continue to build in the future.

“The team played one of the best defensive performances I’ve ever been a part of,” Neatherton said. “We definitely made a statement, and we lost absolutely nothing. I believe that the team will get back [to the NCAA tournament] next year and for many years to follow. I couldn’st imagine being part of a better program.”

The Jacks finished their 2009 campaign at 10-9-2. The two-time Big Sky champions will return 10 of 11 starters in 2010 and look to continue the program’s recent success.