SPRINGFIELD, Ore. – A spirited Oregon Tech flurry inside the final 10 minutes nearly forced overtime, but Southern Oregon made a pair of first half goals stand up, as the Lady Owls season ended in a 2-1 decision at the Cascade Conference Championships, presented by U.S. Bank.
 
Trailing 2-0, OIT (6-5-5) pushed forward in the waning moments – taking six of their 14 shots on the day in the final 10 minutes. The Owls nearly got on the board in the 85th minute, as a Kiah Wetzell one-timer off a corner kick was cleared off the goal line by the Raiders (11-4-3) defense.
 
Tech struck with 68 seconds left – as Ashley Hart made a run down the left side of the pitch and slotted a ball inside the left post to give the Lady Owls hope. Following the restart, OIT had a final chance, with Wetzell getting a pass in space, but her 30-yard attempt was blocked by the Raiders defense.
 
SOU scored twice in a 13-minute stretch of the first half to grab the momentum of the contest. Mia Santander played a ball in the 21st minute to the right side of the area, with Gabbie Johnson slotting home the goal inside the right post. Santander would follow suit in the 34th minute, punching home a rebound of a Sarah Mauk shot.
 
Jessie Selby made six saves for the Raiders to earn the victory and a berth in tomorrow's CCC semifinals.
 
OIT had a 14-9 edge in total shots, including an 11-4 edge in the second half.
 
The match marked the final collegiate contest for three Lady Owl seniors – Maddie Miller, Sylvia Sloss and Halle Adair.