Penticton product and former Penticton Pinnacle Crystal Schuder had a strong performance for the Eastern Oregon University Mountaineers in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) national championship in late November.
Schuder, playing in her final game in her lone season with the Mountaineers, fired nine shots against No.13 Biola in a 1-0 loss in La Grande, Ore. A transfer out of New Mexico Highlands, Schuder currently holds the single-season record with the Mountaineers for goals (17), points (40), shots (105), and game-winners (7). She tallied four multi-score games this season and on Nov. 12 in the Cascade Collegiate Conference (CCC) Semifinals, she mustered a hat trick en route to clinching the team’s first-ever bid to the NAIA Women’s Soccer National Championship.
Schuder received an honourable mention by the NAIA for the 2015 All-America teams.
The Mountaineers notched their best season in program history with a 17-3-1 record and a 9-2 mark in CCC play. The Mountaineers finished tied for second in league play and clinched the program’s first-ever bid to the NAIA National Championship Opening Round.