The buzz surrounding Brynn Howard’s match-winning strike was still reverberating through the Acker Gym hallway on Monday. Now, she’ll have a photo in the hallway—on the Wildcat of the Week wall— to commemorate it. Howard’s waist-high volley from the top of the 18 was not just a massive goal that vaulted the Chico State women’s soccer team into the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) Tournament semifinals. It was also one of the most impressive strikes by a Wildcat this season.
Most importantly, it kept the Wildcats’ season alive. They head to Rohnert Park this weekend for the CCAA Tournament trying to not only claim the conference tournament title, but also the automatic berth into the NCAA Championship Tournament that goes along with it.
At 9-4-5, the Wildcats have not yet been spotted in the NCAA Regional rankings, the last set of which will be revealed Wednesday afternoon. Thus, that AQ might be the team’s only hope of advancing into next week’s action despite boasting the nation’s sixth-ranked defense in terms of goals conceded per match.
Howard has played a huge role in that effort. A center midfielder who took over the defensive holding mid spot midway through the conference season, she has built a reputation as a defensive stopper. But she’s also contributed on the offensive end, logging three goals (tied for the second most on the team), including a pair of match winners.
She hopes to contribute on both ends this weekend. The Wildcats’ CCAA semifinal against top-seeded Sonoma State is scheduled to kickoff at 11:30 a.m. Friday. Tickets are $10 for general admission and $5 for seniors, active military, students with ID, and children ages 3-12. They can be purchased
HERE or via a link on the Chico State women's soccer schedule page at
www.ChicoWildcats.com, where links to the match broadcast and live stats can also be found.
