The Frontier Conference tournament championship game today will be a rubber match between Carroll College and Rocky Mountain College, with the winner packing their bags and sunscreen for nationals next weekend in Daytona Beach, Fla.

Both teams won their semifinal matches in the unaffiliated tourney Friday at Nelson Stadium.

The Saints downed the University of Great Falls 4-0, while the Bears edged Westminster College, 1-0. Carroll and Rocky spilt their regular season games.

The Saints (12-6) scored just 5-minutes into the contest against UGF on a goal by Anna Coburn, and controlled the rest of the match for their third win of the year over the Argos.

"I took a great cross from Hannah (Young) and booted it in on my first touch," said Coburn, a freshman forward from Ridgefield, Wash. "We didn't want this to be our last game of the year."

At the 27:00 mark, Young's timing was perfect on a Rachael Lowe corner kick, as she kicked the ball in mid-air and shook the net for Carroll's second tally. The home team scored twice more, on unassisted goals by Meghan O'Connell at 42:00, and Taryne Ela at 48:00.

The Saints outshot the visitors, 12-10. Local keepers Katie Beall and Kirsten NalleyMadigan split the keeper duties, with each snagging two saves.

The closest the Argos came to scoring was in the second half with 12:50 left. A scrum took place about 5-yards in front of the net, and then when a Great Falls kicker rifled a shot at point-blank range, NallyMadigan leaped to her left for a diving stop.

"It was a reaction save," explained the Carroll sophomore, who hails from Whitefish. "I was just concentrating on the ball and the players' feet, and reacted to the kick."

Saints coach Dave Thorvilson said that his girls came ready to play. "On a cold, windy day like today, that first goal is important," Thorvilson said.

"We found the net early and just kept the momentum going. The defense did a good job on a hard, slippery field, and were able to hold Great Falls' scoring opportunities down," he added.

The other semifinal match was a defensive struggle, as Rocky's Chloe Pennisci scored the unassisted winning goal at 58-minutes. Westminster keeper Dayna Winter-Nole recording five saves, with Vanessa Peters, Billings' goalie, stopping a pair of shots.

The title game today will be a reunion of sorts, featuring Bobbi Allard and Beall of Carroll, and Rocky's Tiffany Tresner. All three were teammates on Capital's 2003 state championship squad.

Carroll and Rocky (13-3) , who tied for the Frontier crown, both captured their regular season games against each other on the road -- the Saints winning in Billings, and Rocky prevailing at Nelson Stadium.

"This is almost like a crosstown rivalry, it's always a heated battle," said Tresner referring to the competition between the two schools.

Gametime is 2 p.m. The winner advances to the NAIA championships Nov. 22 in Daytona Beach.

Reporter Curt Synness: 449-2150 or curt52s@bresnan.net