Williamsburg, KY – Cumberlands athletics have found their stride this season with terrific performances during the fall championships, while winter sports teams are off to tremendous starts. An amazing run during the NAIA National Tournament leads to Patriots women's soccer earning the Brick Oven Team of the Month honors for December, announced by the athletic department Monday.  The University of the Cumberlands Athletic Department in conjunction with their corporate partner the Brick Oven are presenting the "Brick Oven Team of the Month", which will be awarded to one Patriot team each month.
 
The Patriots soccer team qualified for their seventh straight NAIA National Tournament after earning an at-large berth and the 13^th-seed.  UC opened up tournament play with a 2-0 win over Columbia College, to reach the NAIA final site for the sixth straight season.  In the round of 16, Cumberlands outlasted #4 College of Idaho 3-2 in double-overtime to advance.  After trailing 1-0 in the match, Karla Waibel and Nicole Araujo each scored giving Cumberlands the 1-0 lead at half.  After the match went to overtime, Samantha Sokolove's cross found Carola Fontan for the game-winning goal in the 102' as UC advanced.

In the quarterfinal match, the Patriots battled through weather and delays before Fontan connected with Araujo in the 89' as UC tallied the 1-0 win over #5 John Brown.  In their semifinal match against #8 Oklahoma Wesleyan, the Patriots struck in the 32' as Fontan buried a freekick from 30-yards out to take the lead.  Morgan White added six saves as Cumberlands earned the 1-0 final to advance to the championship match for the second time in program history.  UC utilized an early goal in finals before falling in penalty kicks.

Fontan was named the NAIA Most Outstanding Offensive Player of the Tournament, while Araujo, Fontan, White, and Sokolove were named to NAIA All-Tournament Team.  
 
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