HATTIESBURG, Miss. – The Lady Crusader booked their place in the round of 16 of the NAIA Women's Soccer National Tournament with a 2-0 win over Xavier (La.) on a wet and wild afternoon at Danny Owens Field.
 
"Credit to Xavier, they're a well-coached side and they came in here and gave us problems." Said Head Coach Danny Owens. "We didn't play too well in the first half and we told the girls, just go back to doing what got you here. The second half we looked more like our normal selves. We were able to score early and late to kill the game and now we're looking forward to Pensacola."
 
The start of the national tournament now means it's win at all costs territory. There's no more at-large bids, one poor performance, one wrong result and the season is over.
 
Xavier returns to Danny Owens Field for the second time this season and the third NAIA National Tournament in a row. The Lady Crusaders ran out 3-0 winners back on September 13th thanks to goals from Lauren Entremont, Alessia Navarro & Karen Vilau.
 
Xavier started the brighter of the two teams and could've gone ahead in the opening 30 seconds. Xavier's Anita Roese got herself on the end of a cross at the back post but, thankfully for Carey, sent her header into the side netting from point blank range.
 
The Gold Nuggets then had two more chances to make the breakthrough in the next five minutes. Juliana Kottbauer saw her effort from distance easily saved by Nerea Pallas Padillas. Shakiana Dagher then sent a tantalizing free kick straight through the middle of the six-yard box with no one from either team able to get a telling touch.
 
Carey's first shot on target came in the 12th minute. Entremont provided a delicate touch to release Navarro in behind. Navarro didn't strike the ball cleanly, and her shot went tamely into Luisa Bella's grateful hands.
 
Dagher thought she had given the Gold Nuggets the lead thanks to a bit of a lucky free kick. Dagher overhit a long free kick that nearly caught Padilla out at her near post. Padilla recognized the danger and got across to her front post to make the save and tip the ball over.
 
Carey's best chances of the half came as they had three shots on target in the space of 5 seconds. Vilau struck a free kick that forced the save from Bella low down to her left. Entremont followed in the shot, looking to capitalize on the rebound, but was denied by an unbelievable reflex save from Bella. The following rebound then bounced up to Boo Mills who managed to direct her header on target but found her effort cleared off the line by the Xavier defender.
 
Carey nearly got their slice of luck a few minutes later as Bella's poor clearance feel straight to the feet of Vilau. Vilau then tried to catch Bella off her line but she didn't catch her effort cleanly and her shot was intercepted by Dagher.
 
Carey took the chance to regroup at half time after a lackluster first half. It proved dividends as the Lady Crusaders took just 64 seconds to break the deadlock. Carey worked the ball out to Vilau on the right-hand side who beat her defender and drove towards the penalty area. Vilau then squared the ball just behind Navarro but found the feet of Virginia Mesa. Mesa took a touch to work herself some space and fired at goal. Bella got a hand on the shot but didn't get a solid enough hand on the ball as it trickled into the goal.
 
Carey's game plan of attacking the full-backs was proving fruitful as Carey were able to create chances.
 
The Lady Crusaders nearly doubled their lead in the 55th minute but were denied by a great save from Bella and the post. Vilsu played a delicate through ball to Navarro that released her through on goal. Bella rushed off her line to close down the angle on Navarro to force her to fire her shot straight at the Xavier keeper. Navarro then worked the rebound back to Vilau who, although did well to create space for herself, could only direct her effort across goal and onto the post.
 
Entremont was the next to test Bella in goal. Entremont and Kokona Nishikawa worked a lovely one-two around the Xavier back line to play Nishikawa in on goal. Nishikawa squared the ball to Entremont for an easy finish but she could only send her effort straight at Bella in goal.
 
Xavier began to find their footing midway through the half. The Gold Nuggets built some nice moves and started gaining possession in dangerous areas inside the Carey half. At times it looked like they were going to make Carey pay for missing their chances but Padilla and the Carey defense stayed firm and didn't allow any clear chances.
 
With five minutes left on the clock, Navarro gave Carey the insurance goal their second-half dominance had deserved. Nishikawa won the ball back in the middle of the park before finding Navarro on the right hand side. Navarro drove past her defender and, leaving nothing t chance this time, rocketed the ball high over Bella's head and in courtesy of the crossbar.
 
Carey saw out the remaining minutes of the half to seal their place at the final site of the NAIA Women's Soccer National Tournament.
 
With the win, Carey now progress to the round of 16 at the final site. That is set to take place between December 1st-8th in Pensacola, Fla. where they will take on Embry-Riddle (Ariz).