LAKELAND, Fla.—Three goals in the first 16 minutes of play pushed Southeastern to a 3-0 win over Thomas and earned the team a spot in the final 20 in the NAIA Women's Soccer National Championship.
Mashell Rodriguez got the Fire up 1-0 just 100 seconds into the match, burying a feed from
Ciara Boal from six yards out. Rodriguez returned the favor in the 16
th minute, getting a ball to Boal on the left wing which she put in the back of the net.
"We are always about fast starts," said Rodriguez. "There are things we focus on called big five minutes, we focus on the first five minutes of the game and the five minutes after a goal."
In between, senior
Nathalie Saldana found the back of the net for the first time in her career on a pass from
Naira Lopez in the fifth minute of play, shooting from a tough angle on the right wing.
"When you least expect it, we have girls stepping up," said coach
Alan Berrios. "We are a united team, the girls on the bench were excited when we scored, and its good to get production from girls you may not expect them from."
The Fire control possession throughout, limiting Thomas to just six shot none of which found the frame.
"We need to rest and recover and focus on our mentality," said Berrios. "We need to focus and be ready to go Saturday night."
Southeastern will take on second-seeded Reinhardt on Saturday at 7 p.m. with the winner advancing to the NAIA National Championship Final Site in Foley, Ala.
