Chicago, Ill. – For the first time in the history of the Illinois Tech Women's Soccer program, the Scarlet Hawks are Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference (NACC) Tournament Champions! Reaching the NACC Women's Soccer Tournament Championship for the fourth year in a row, the regular season champions, No. 1 seeded Hawks welcomed the No. 2 seeded Milwaukee School of Engineering (MSOE) Raiders to Stuart Field on the afternoon of Saturday, November 9th for a championship rematch from the 2023 season. Similar to the rest of the 2024 season, the Hawks became an offensive powerhouse, dominating possession of the ball and taking advantage of their opportunities. At the end of regulation, the Hawks became the 2024 NACC Women's Soccer Champions with a 6-1 victory over the Raiders.   

With fans lined up and down the sideline, the Hawks and Raiders kicked-off the 2024 championship match. On their first shot attempt of the game, the Raiders found a quick goal in the 3rd minute of action, sending shock throughout the Hawks fan base. Not letting the early goal get to them, the Hawks built momentum and found the game tying goal in the 12th minute off the foot of NACC Women's Soccer Freshman of the year Eva Narvarte. From that moment on, the Hawks never looked back. At the end of the first half, the Hawks led the Raiders 3-1. Building on their momentum, the Hawks continued their dominating style of play, scoring three more to defeat the Raiders 6-1.  

"We did it!" Head Coach Roshane Ellison said following the match. "I'm excited for our team and our program." 

Defender of the Year Gabriella Baltes and NACC All-Conference Second Team Amelia Moseman both recorded braces during the match. This marked Baltes' second brace and Moseman's first brace of the season.  

With the 6-1 victory, the Hawks earned the program's first automatic bid into the NCAA Division III Women's Soccer Tournament.  

Every year, at the conclusion of the NACC Women's Soccer Tournament, an All-Tournament team is named. Graduate Student and NACC Offensive Player of the Year Caitie Chismarich was named the tournament MVP after scoring two goals and recording five assists for nine points across three games. Freshman Narvarte, junior Baltes, and senior Lucy Jorjorian were all also named to the All-Tournament team. Narvarte finished the tournament with three goals and one assist for seven points. Baltes finished with four goals for eight points. Jorjorian finished with one goal for two points.  

HOW IT HAPPENED 

• With their first shot of the game, the Raiders shocked the Hawks with an early goal just two minutes and ten seconds into the game. As the Hawks passed the ball across their defense, a clearance attempt was read by Grace Quinn, who intercepted the pass, hitting the ball forward into the 18-yard box. Faith Papazoglou was the closest to the loose ball, and with it bouncing near the penalty kick area, Papazoglou struck a shot to the left side of the goal, just out of reach of the diving Sarah Thomas to put the Raiders ahead 1-0. 

• Not letting the early goal get to them, the Hawks slowly built-up offensive pressure. The game tying goal came to the Hawks at the 11:51 mark. When it seemed as if the Raiders were about to have another opportunity at goal, Baltes stopped her mark dead in her tracks, stealing the ball inside the 18-yard box. Baltes then booted a clearing ball up the field, to the feet of Chismarich. With an impressive first touch, Chismarich settled the ball out of the air, turned past her defender, and took off towards goal. Dribbling with pace down the field, Chismarich played a perfectly paced cross behind the Raiders defensive line into the path of Narvarte. On her first touch, Narvarte sent a right footed shot straight past the Raiders goalkeeper into the back of the net on the near post side.  

• In the 31st minute, the Hawks broke the 1-1 tie when Baltes found the back of the net with her first goal of the game off a Hannah Ramos assist. With the ball crossing the endline, the Hawks earned a corner kick with less than 15 minutes remaining in the half. Kayla Smith stepped up to take the kick, sending a high cross into a mix of Hawks and Raiders near the penalty kick area. With the ball bouncing around, Ramos was able to poke the ball back towards the top of the 18-yard box to where Baltes was backing up to. With one touch, Baltes lifted a right-footed shot through a swarm of players. Not expecting the shot, the Raiders goalkeeper wasn't able to react in time as Baltes' shot made its way into the back of the net on the near post side.  
  
  

• As halftime neared, the Hawks weren't done yet. With the Hawks earning another corner kick, the designated taker Smith ran towards the corner to take it. Sending a right-footed cross into the box, Smith's kick made its way into the direction of Baltes. Like many other times this season, Baltes jumped and headed the ball, redirecting it towards goal and sending the ball into the back of the net in the lower left corner in the 40th minute. With the goal, Baltes recorded herself a brace.  
  
  

• At the halftime whistle, the Hawks led the Raiders 3-1.  

• Although the Hawks held a two-goal lead, they weren't done yet. Wasting no time coming out of their halftime huddle, the Hawks tacked on back-to-back goals. First came a goal by Smith in the 49th minute. Cutting inside and dribbling towards the box, Moseman played the ball forward in the path of Chismarich's run. Chismarich, with a defender on her, attempted a right-footed shot from a tough angle. Although it was a tough angled shot for Chismarich, it forced the Raiders goalkeeper to make a diving save. Even though she made a save on Chismarich's initial shot, the ball would go right into the direction of Smith's follow-up run who was able to just place the ball into the back of the goal, giving the Hawks a 4-1 lead.  
  
  

• Two minutes later, the Hawks took a 5-1 lead when Moseman scored her first of the game. As Smith cleared the ball out of the Hawks defensive half, Chismarich took off sprinting, gained control of the ball, and continued to race towards the goal. Dribbling into the box and towards the end-line, Chismarich cut a cross back towards the penalty kick area, right in the direction of Moseman's run. With a defender stepping towards her, Moseman took a forward touch into space before twisting her body to rip a left-footed shot into the opposite side netting.  

• In the 79th minute of play, the Hawks recorded their sixth and final goal of the game when Moseman found the back of the net for a second time, earning herself a brace. With the Hawks earning yet another corner kick, Kayla Thomas stepped up to take the kick. Sending a high cross into the 18-yard box, the Raiders were the first to get a touch on the ball as they attempted to head the ball out. Unfortunately for them, the ball landed right at the feet of Moseman who took a touch before sending a perfectly placed shot across the goal-line and into the right-side netting.  
  
  

• Neither team would go on to record another shot in the remaining 10 minutes of action. As the final whistle rang, Head Coach Roshane Ellison threw a fist pump and received a celebratory ice dump from his players as the Hawks were named the 2024 NACC Women's Soccer Tournament Champions with a 6-1 victory! 

VIDEO OF THE HAWKS VICTORY CELEBRATION 

SCARLET HAWK STANDOUTS 

• Gabriella Baltes – 90 minutes, 2 goals, 2 shots, 2 shots on goal 

• Amelia Moseman – 65 minutes, 2 goals, 5 shots, 2 shots on goal 

• Kayla Smith – 67 minutes, 1 goal, 1 assist, 2 shots, 1 shot on goal 

• Eva Narvarte – 77 minutes, 1 goal, 3 shots, 2 shots on goal 

• Hannah Ramos – 65 minutes, 1 assist, 1 shot 

• Caitie Chismarich – 76 minutes, 3 assists, 5 shots, 3 shots on goal 

• Allison Murray – 35 minutes 1 shot, 1 shot on goal 

RAIDERS' STANDOUTS 

• Faith Papazoglou – 59 minutes, 1 goal, 1 shot, 1 shot on goal 

• Addison Spilman – 82 minutes, 2 shots 

• Elizabeth Kuhn – 75 minutes, 2 shots 

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE 

• Illinois Tech out shot MSOE 21-5 with 13 shots on goal versus one. 

• Both teams recorded six corners a piece during the 90 minutes of action 

• The Raiders made seven saves during the match 

• 5-of-6 Hawk goals came inside the 18-yard box 

• MSOE's lone goal came inside the 18-yard box 

UP NEXT 

Earning an automatic bid into the NCAA Division III Women's Soccer Tournament, the Scarlet Hawks await to see where they will be traveling to and who their opponent will be. Location and Opponent will be announced on the NCAA Division III Women's Soccer Selection Show on Monday, November 11th at 1:00 PM CT. A link to selection show information can be found HERE.  

PHOTO GALLERY FROM CHAMPIONSHIP CELEBRATION