Storm to square off against Loras in A-R-C Championship game

INDIANOLA, Iowa – The third-seeded Simpson College women's soccer team and top-seeded Loras Duhawks will vie for the American Rivers Conference Tournament crown on Saturday evening in Dubuque. Kickoff is set for 5 p.m.

The Storm advanced to the title match with a pair of 2-1 wins. Simpson first defeated No. 6 seed Central at home, then traveled to Waverly and pulled off a big come-from-behind victory over No. 2 seed Wartburg in overtime. No. 15/11 Loras enjoyed a first-round bye before taking down Luther by a score of 5-0 in the semifinals.

Simpson aims to win its second conference tournament title overall and first since 1999. Loras looks to win its 15th tournament title in program history and second in a row. The Duhawks defeated Wartburg 4-1 in last year's championship game and went as far as the NCAA Division III Final Four.

A-R-C TOURNAMENT CHAMPIONSHIP
No. 3 Simpson (12-5-1, 6-2 A-R-C) at No. 1 Loras (15-0-3, 8-0 A-R-C)
Saturday, Nov. 5 | 5 p.m.
Rock Bowl | Dubuque, Iowa
Live Video | Live Stats

WHAT'S AT STAKE
The winner of Saturday's title game will earn the conference's automatic qualifying bid to the NCAA Division III Women's Soccer Tournament, while the loser will hope to be selected as an at-large bid. The selection show is scheduled for Nov. 7 at 2 p.m. ET on NCAA.com.

SERIES NOTES
Saturday's game between the Storm and Duhawks is the 32nd meeting in the series dating back to 1996. Loras holds a 21-8-2 advantage over Simpson and has won the last 13 matchups. Earlier this season, the Duhawks came to Indianola and captured a 3-0 win behind goals from three different players.

ABOUT THE STORM

• Simpson heads into its first championship match since 2009 on a seven-game win streak
• After starting the season 2-3-1, the Storm have won 10 of their last 12 with their only losses coming against Wartburg and Loras
• Fueled by 16 goals from senior Cassie Nash, Simpson has outscored its opponents 31-7 over the last seven wins. Across all 18 games, the Storm have a 54-20 scoring advantage
• 11 players have scored for the Storm led by Nash with 24 and Brissa Valadez with seven. Jordyn Foelske and Megan Roberts each have six goals and Anna Scott has contributed three
• Hailey Kowzan is Simpson's assists leader with seven followed by Nash with six and Valadez and Julia Wagoner with five
• The Storm defense has posted six shutouts this season
• Lani Mears is 11-4-1 between the posts, while Brenny Frederick is 1-1-0. Mears leads the team with 62 saves in 17 matches and over 1402 minutes

ABOUT THE DUHAWKS

• Loras has reached the championship match four times in the last five seasons and carries an undefeated record of 15-0-3 into the game
• Over the last two seasons, the Duhawks have gone 36-1-5 with their only loss being against 2021 national champion Christopher Newport
• With an 8-0 record in league play, the Duhawks won their 15th overall conference championship and sixth in the past seven years
• Loras has registered eight consecutive shutouts and managed to keep all eight league members off the scoreboard this season
• The Duhawks have outscored the opposition 67-12 in their 18 games
• Ryleigh O'Brien (19) and Abby Eriksen (12) lead the Duhawks in scoring, while Payton McDonnell (16 assists, 26 points) and O'Brien (10 assists, 48 points) top the team in assists and overall points
• Kyndal Kells holds a 15-0-3 record in goal with 33 saves and 11 shutouts to her name

REGIONAL RANKINGS
In the United Soccer Coaches rankings, Loras held steady at No. 3 for the first seven polls, but moved up a spot to No. 2 in the final poll of the season released on Tuesday. Meanwhile, Simpson made its first appearance of the year at No. 8. In the NCAA regional rankings, the Duhawks are No. 1.

STORM IN THE NATIONAL RANKINGS
T-1st - Cassie Nash, game-winning goals (8)
5th - Cassie Nash, goals per game (1.33)
5th - Cassie Nash, total goals (24)
7th - Cassie Nash, points per game (3.00)
8th - Cassie Nash, total points (54)

DUHAWKS IN THE NATIONAL RANKINGS
2nd - Payton McDonnell, assists per game (0.89)
2nd - Payton McDonnell, total assists (16)
3rd - Ryleigh O'Brien, game-winning goals (7)
10th - Ryeligh O'Brien, points per game (2.82)
11th - Ryleigh O'Brien, total points (48)
12th - Ryleigh O'Brien, goals per game (1.12)
13th - Ryleigh O'Brien, total goals (19)

SIMPSON IN THE CONFERENCE RANKINGS
2nd - Total goals (54)
T-2nd - Total assists (38)
2nd - Total shots (375)
2nd - Total shots on goal (177)
3rd - Goals allowed (20)
3rd - Goals against average (1.11)
3rd - Save percentage (.773)
4th - Shutouts (6)

LORAS IN THE CONFERENCE RANKINGS
1st - Total goals (67)
1st - Total assists (57)
1st - Total shots (425)
1st - Total shots on goal (196)
2nd - Goals allowed (12)
2nd - Goals against average (.67)
2nd - Shutouts (11)
4th - Save percentage (.760)