WINCHESTER, Va. - Visiting Methodist University ended Shenandoah
University's women's soccer season Tuesday night by advancing with
a 3-1 advantage in penalty kicks in the USA South Conference
Tournament quarterfinals.
With the two teams tied after 90 minutes of regulation and 20
minutes of sudden victory overtime, a penalty kick shootout was
started to determine the team advancing in the USA South Conference
Tournament.
The shootout is five-round competition in which each team takes
turns shooting from the penalty kick spot, a position 12-yards from
the goalkeeper. At the end of the five rounds, the team that scores
the most goals is deemed to advance to the next round. Officially,
the game ends in a tie.
Methodist (9-9-2) converted three of its first four
opportunities from the PK spot, and when freshman Nicole
Gilbertson missed for SU (10-6-5), MU clinched the
opportunity to advance.
Up to the point in which Gilbertson was denied, Shenandoah had
failed on two of first three chances.
Goalkeeper Kat
Terza, also the team's first shooter, missed wide
left while MU keeper Kasey Nichols stopped Alex Lowery's attempt
in the No. 2 spot.
Only No. 3 shooter Amber Womack was
able to convert.
Conversely, Kelly Oprin and Danielle Minichello sandwiched a
miss by Kayla Hahn in the Monarchs first three attempts to give MU
a 2-1 lead.
Michelle Anderson then beat Terza to put SU into a situation in
which it must score on its final two attempts and get at least one
save to continue the shootout. When Gilbertson couldn't convert,
Methodist had clinched.
The shootout was necessary because after Womack drew first blood
for the Hornets with an unassisted goal at 67:23, Methodist stuck
back just under three minutes later on an own goal.
The goal occurred as Erica Nath drove a cross from 10 yards
above the touchline and as SU attempted to head the ball, knocked
into its own net instead.
The two teams then remained tied for the remaining 20 minutes of
regulation and 20 minutes of OT, but SU did have the apparent
game-winning goal called back for an offside midway though the
first OT session.
In the first half, Methodist also saved a goal off of a corner
with a header on the goalline.
Shenandoah outshot the Monarchs 11-10 with Nichols and Terza
each making seven saves.
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