Box Score The Lancaster Bible women's soccer team will need to repeat as North Eastern Athletic Conference champions if they are to experience national tournament play in 2013. The Chargers were shutout by upstart Cairn University, 4-0 on Saturday in the NCCAA East Region Final and it will be the Highlanders who represent the East Region in next month's NCCAA National Tournament which will be held in Kissimmee, Fla.

After winning the past two East Region championships over Baptist Bible, the Chargers were heavy favorites heading into Saturday's game due to their 6-0 victory over the Highlanders earlier this season. However, it was Cairn who, despite not possessing the ball very much over the 90 minutes, made the most of their chances and scored 25 minutes into the first half. 

Kathleen Meachem received a great pass from Sara Poole that split the defense and scored into the lower right-hand side of the goal to give Cairn a 1-0 lead. The Highlanders (7-10-2) held the lead through halftime and well into the second half, as LBC (12-7) possessed the ball almost the entire time, but could not convert any of their chances. 

Cairn, or more specifically, Amara Mills, put the game away in the final 10 minutes as Mills scored three times in the final 8:44 to ice the game and give Cairn the 4-0 victory. For the game, the Chargers outshot the Highlanders, 15-9 and held a 6-0 edge in corner kicks, but could not convert any chances.

"They outplayed us when it mattered and played with more intensity," Chargers Head Coach Ken Craul said. "We were non-existent on 50-50 balls and their effort was simply better."

Craul said the game will serve as a learning experience for the Chargers, who despite having many players back from the past two seasons, are still a relatively young squad.

"We are still a young team, and while I don't think anyone was tight, I'm not sure many of our players have had championship game experience and I think we did press a little and got frustrated in the second half," Craul said. 

The Chargers will wrap-up their regular season on Sunday when they host SUNY Cobleskill in a make-up game from Oct. 12. The game is scheduled to begin at 3:30 p.m. and will be LBC's final tune-up prior to next weekend's NEAC Quarterfinals in which they will host the 3 seed - 6 seed game at 1 p.m.

"I think Sunday could define our season," Craul said. "Are we going to keep playing or are we simply going to finish the season? I think Sunday will be very mental. Our skill versus their skill is not what I'm worried about. Can we recover and play well is what I want to see."


Notes:
-After Saturday's game, four Lancaster Bible players were named to the NCCAA East Region First Team. Monica Horning, Bethany Stein, Sarah Heilenman and Alyssa Wesner all made the first team, while Horning was named East Region Player of the Year. Ken Craul was named Coach of the Year for the third straight season.

-The victory was Cairn's first-ever NCCAA East Region Women's Soccer Championship.