Chicago, Ill. — In a game that started out in a sun-splashed afternoon and finished under colder, nighttime skies at Stuart Field, Illinois Tech Women's Soccer battled the Milwuakee School of Engineering for a fourth consecutive year in the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference Women's Soccer Championship match. The Scarlet Hawks and Raiders battled to a 1-1 draw through 90 minutes of regulation and two 10-minute overtime periods. When the game entered the penalty kick shootout portion of the match, the Raiders overcame an early 1-0 deficit in the shootout to comeback and score 3 times in the shootout for a 3-2 shootout advantage, securing their second NACC crown in the last four years. The Hawks and the Raiders have gone 2-2 against each other in the last four NACC championship matches.
The Scarlet Hawks likely finish their season 16-6-1 overall, after earning their fourth consecutive NACC regular season title. The Raiders are 13-4-5, and earned the NACC's automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Women's Soccer Championship that start next weekend.
How It Happened
The Scarlet Hawks generated early looks through
Tvesa Vathulya, who had shots at 5:20 and 17:27, while
Clara Estiandan saved Shealan Biniam's attempt at 16:47. After the Raiders earned a corner at 23:59,
Grace Yager and Vathulya added attempts before
Eva Narvarte converted a penalty kick at 30:50 to open the scoring for the Scarlet Hawks. Estiandan stopped Alexis Lugonzo at 31:18, but a stretch with four fouls from 36:05 to 39:22 preceded the Raiders' equalizer when Lugonzo scored off McKinley Collins' assist at 40:04. The Raiders made the final attacking push with three shots from 42:00 to 44:26 and a corner at 44:32 as the first half ended tied 1-1.
The Scarlet Hawks generated the first chances of the second half, with
Kayla Frassinelli putting a shot on frame that Teya Baxter saved at 55:19 before Vathulya sent an attempt high at 56:41. The Raiders worked back into the attacking end with an Alexis Lugonzo shot wide, a corner kick at 62:24 and a Claire Bradford attempt, but neither side broke through. The late stretch grew stop-start with four fouls between 79:46 and 87:18, and after Bradford missed left at 81:53,
Emma Conway forced another Baxter save at 88:05 as the half finished scoreless.
The Scarlet Hawks worked through the first recorded Raiders pressure of the first overtime, as the visitors were flagged offside at 91:33 before earning a corner at 95:30. Estiandan handled the Raiders' best on-frame chance of the segment at 96:51, saving Alexis Lugonzo's shot to the bottom right. After Narvarte was called for a foul at 98:02, Katie Owens sent the Raiders' next attempt out top right at 98:25, and the first overtime ended scoreless at 100:00.
The Scarlet Hawks pressed through the second overtime, starting with
Tvesa Vathulya's shot to the bottom right that Teya Baxter saved at 100:46. Narvarte missed high right at 102:28, and
Kaitlyn Walsh put a shot left at 104:37 as the Scarlet Hawks kept the attack in the Raiders' end.
Leyna Yonehara hit the top woodwork at 106:49, but neither side scored before overtime ended with the match still tied 1-1.
Faith Papazoglou missed the Raiders' opening shootout attempt, and Narvarte converted the Scarlet Hawks' first try. Kit Gormley made the Raiders' next attempt, Yonehara missed for the Scarlet Hawks, Shealan Biniam converted for the Raiders and
Maddie Steele followed with a Scarlet Hawks make. Ainsley Roeder and
Olivia Roy each missed in the fourth round before Hadleigh Ostrenga made the Raiders' fifth attempt and Yager missed, leaving the Raiders with three shootout makes to the Scarlet Hawks' two, earning the Raiders the conference championship title and automatic NCAA tournament bid.
Scarlet Hawk Standouts
Eva Narvarte
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- one goal
- two points
- two shots, one on goal
Tvesa Vathulya
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- five shots
- one shot on goal
Clara Estiandan
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- three saves
- one goal allowed in 110:00 minutes
Raiders Top Performers
Alexis Lugonzo
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- one game-tying goal
- four shots, three on goal
- two points
Teya Baxter
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- three saves
- 110:00 in goal
- one goal allowed
McKinley Collins
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- one assist
Game Notes
- The Scarlet Hawks are now 8-3-3 lifetime against the Raiders and 2-2 against the Raiders in NACC Tournament Championship matches.
