CHAMPIONSHIP INFO  |  AWARDS

KISSIMMEE, Fla. - Cedarville University claimed the NCCAA Division I Women's Soccer Championship with a 1-0 result over Ottawa AZ at the Austin-Tindall Sports Complex.

It's the program's first-ever NCCAA banner as Head Coach Jonathan Meade's club finished 16-6-1 setting a school record for the most victories in a season.

The top-seeded Lady Jackets ran the table at the national tournament by posting four consecutive shutouts including back-to-back 1-0 score lines in the elimination round.

Aleah Martone converted a penalty in the 16th minute after a hand ball in the box was whistled on the Spirit. CU's vaunted defense did the rest in clamping down on Ottawa's attack.

Allison Garlock made four saves in goal while registering her school record 12th shutout of the season.

Bex Velloney was named the Tournament Most Outstanding Player after anchoring the back line to its record 13th clean sheet overall. She was joined on the All-Tournament Team by Emma Conway and Olivia Hoffman.
 

#SCOREoftheGame: Aleah Martone scores off of a PK to help the @CUJackets win 1-0 and capture the 2019 DI Women's Soccer Championship! @SCOREINTL1 https://t.co/AdoJMqRa7G pic.twitter.com/TQYYFXAE4F

— NCCAA Championships (@NCCAAChamps) December 8, 2019

Quotable: Head Coach Jonathan Meade

"This was an amazing night and I'm so proud of these players. I'm proud that they have always stayed true to who we are and why we play, and that's for the Word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ.

"We started this season playing teams that would push us beyond our limits so that teams we faced at the end of the season would never see our limits. Ottawa is a very strong team, but the heart and determination of the Lady Jackets never waivered.

"We started the season in our very first training session working on defending corner kicks because that had been a weakness. It's fitting that's how we finished the season - defending a corner kick to win a national championship.

"I want to congratulate our team for such a great season, but I want to especially say thank you to the seniors who were instrumental in leading this team. They are a special group that have given so much to this program and I'm thankful they could go out as champions."

Stinger Notes:

• The senior quartet of Conway, Garlock, Velloney, and Hannah Atkinson combined for 285 career games and 268 starts.
• Velloney's 76 career starts is fourth all-time at Cedarville.
• Atkinson finished fifth in career goals scored (28).
• Garlock ended her career with 25 shutouts, second on the school's all-time list.
• The defense registered eight shutouts in the last ten games.
• Cedarville allowed just 14 goals all season and only nine in the last 21 games.
• The Jackets played no less than eleven 1-0 games finishing 7-4 with five straight W's in those contests.
• Ottawa had scored nine goals in their previous three NCCAA games.
• CU women's soccer joins both cross country teams as NCCAA Champions this fall.

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