Owls’ Historic Season Comes to a Close

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. — Oregon Tech's record-breaking women's soccer season came to an end Friday when the 24th-rated Hustlin' Owls dropped a 2-1 decision to Marymount of California in the NAIA national championships opening round.

Megan Purkey scored once in each half, her second goal coming 10 minutes into the second period to give the Mariners, now 11-9-1, a 2-0 lead.

Marymount entered the tournament after it won the Golden State Athletic League championship.

Tech, which entered the tournament as champion of the Cascade Collegiate Conference, scored with just under 10 minutes to play when Kylie Cowell kicked the ball to the back of the net. Like Purkey, Cowell's goal was unassisted. It was Cowell's second goal of the season.

"We are so very proud of this group of ladies," OIT coach Brandon Porter said. "We didn't play particularly well in the first half, but really came out in the second half and were the aggressors."

The seniors were the first group of player Porter recruited to OIT, and gave Tech its first conference championship and went unbeaten in league play.

"This group of seniors has done such a fantastic job of setting a new standard for Oregon Tech women's soccer moving forward," Porter said. "I can't wait to see how successful they will be when they leave Tech".