NAU soccer ousted from Big Sky tournament

PORTLAND, Ore. -- Northern Arizona and Weber State kicked off the Big Sky tournament in Portland, Ore., in the semifinals Thursday, and Weber State was able to jump on the scoreboard first and pull away to defeat Northern Arizona 3-0.

"Give Weber State a lot of credit, because they took advantage of their opportunities in front of goal," said NAU coach Andre Luciano. "They were more willing to pull the trigger on shots, while we were waiting for the perfect shot."

Weber State started the scoring in the first half with a goal from Ryle Hansen in the 33rd minute to take an early 1-0 lead. The Wildcats led the first half with four shots while the Lumberjacks had three shots and two corner kicks.

Weber State got its second goal from Stacy Blair less than two minutes into the second half, extending the lead to 2-0.

The Wildcats added to to their lead midway through the second half with a goal from Mackenzie Day in the 68th minute, making it 3-0.

The Lumberjacks were able to get off 10 shots but only placed two on goal. Weber State had nine shots with six on goal.

"I can't take away anything from the team this year," said Luciano. "They had a great season and worked extremely hard this year, the ball just didn't bounce our way this day."

The Lumberjacks end the season with an 11-5-3 record and a second-place finish in the Big Sky during the regular season. The squad placed nine players on the All-Big Sky teams, the most since 2010. NAU also went from three conference wins last season to seven wins this season.

It was the final match for seniors Jordan Stenger, Shawnee Morgan, Elinor Priest, Lauren Weaver and Alana D'Onofrio, who led the way as the Lumberjacks returned to the playoffs for the first time since 2010.

"These seniors leave the program in a good place," said Luciano. "I know they wanted to end on a higher note, but I know the amount of work they put into this season and nobody thought they would go this far, and for that, I am very proud of my team."