KLAMATH FALLS, Ore. – New conference, longer schedule, longer road trips, unknown teams, unknown venues… No problem. The Carroll College women's soccer team topped Oregon Tech 1-0 Saturday in Klamath Falls to earn the outright Cascade Collegiate Conference crown in the Saints first year in the conference.
 
"It was a long day but we are very excited for the outcome," head coach Dave Thorvilson said. "It was a crazy game. We had a ton of shots and a ton of corner kicks but we struggled to get the ball in the net. We sweated it out but got the goal in the 83rd minute for the win and it feels great."
 
The Saints took 19 shots on the game but had to wait until the last one, with less than eight minutes left in the game to finally find the net.
 
Cassidy Hammons dribbled through the middle of the field and found a streaking Lexi Pyette to the left of the goal. Pyette made two dribbles and sent it far post to give the Saints a 1-0 lead in the 83rd minute.
 
"The goal took the air out of them," Thorvilson said. "They changed their formation to try to push the ball forward but they left gaps and we were able to possess the ball really well and limited their opportunities. They didn't even get a shot off after our goal."
 
The goal was huge for the Saints who struggled all night to finish. The Saints outshot OIT 19-9, including 10-3 in shots on goal. Carroll also had a 10-1 advantage in corner kicks but none of those translated into goals.
 
"It was senior night so they were playing on an emotional high, they needed the win for post-season play, and they knew that we could clinch when you and all that up it worked against us," Thorvilson said. "We were anxious to get the win because we knew what we could clinch the title. I think you saw it in the way we played but we got the win and it is great to close it out."
 
The Saints earn the Cascade title in the first season as an affiliate member of the conference.
 
"It is a big accomplishment to come into a new conference with all the unknowns associated with that and win a championship," Thorvilson said. "The schedule was longer, the road trips were longer and we played on a bunch of fields none of the girls on the roster had ever played on. We were able to overcome that and win the whole thing and I couldn't be more excited."
 
It was fitting for Pyette to score the goal to clinch the title. It was her team-high seventh on the year and 12th career goal. She never scored more than three in a season prior to this year.
 
"We've known since she was a freshman that Lexi had potential to be a great player," Thorvilson said. "This summer she really bought in and worked hard and you saw it really pay off. She had a huge impact on our goal scoring ability. She was scrappy and fun to watch. We are excited to see what she can do in the post season."
 
The shutout was the 10th of the season for goalkeeper Jamie Carter and seventh in Cascade Conference play. The Saints gave up just four goals in 11 Cascade games.
 
The win not only gives the Saints the top spot in the Cascade Conference Tournament, held in Eugene, Ore., beginning Nov. 11, it also gives the Saints one of two Cascade Conference automatic bids to the NAIA Tournament.
 
Carroll closes the regular season with a non-conference game against NCAA DII Seattle Pacific at 1:30 p.m. on Halloween.