WINCHESTER, Va. – The Shenandoah University women's soccer team advanced to the 2016 ODAC Tournament semi-finals following a 1-1 double overtime draw versus Roanoke Wednesday evening.
Fourth-seeded Shenandoah (13-6-1) advances on PK's after the game with Roanoke (9-6-4) officially ends as a tie.
The Hornets won the shootout 4-2 with Alysha McCleaf, Michelle Krause, Emily Yergin and Anna Wilson all converting on their attempts.
Wilson, the final shooter, clinched the advancement by slipping her shot past Maroons goalkeeper Chris Martin into the left side of the goal.
"I knew had I to make it," Wilson said. "I would have been so upset if I missed. I calmed myself (before the kick) by walking out to the line. I just knew I had to make that kick."
Wilson was in position to clinch the shootout after Abbe Guarino missed high on Roanoke's fourth attempt.
The two teams each missed on their first attempts and converted on their second and third tries.
Yergin put RC in position of having to answer by knocking her attempt just inside the left post, and when Guarino skied her shot, Wilson then stepped to the line with the chance to clinch.
The senior did just that, sending Shenandoah into the tournament semi-finals for the fifth straight year.
SU will face top-seeded Washington and Lee on Saturday in Lexington in the first semi-final.
The shootout was needed as the Hornets answered Roanoke's first half goal with one of their own in the second.
RC took the early lead on an Emily Whitaker goal in the 22nd minute – Whitaker was wide open on a breakaway versus Shenandoah goalkeeper Erin Septer and beat Septer to her right from just inside the 18-yard box.
Barely 10 minutes into the second half, the Hornets brought the game back to level as McCleaf started a sequence in which she served a ball into the middle of the box and saw Yergin head the ball toward the Maroons goal.
Martin was able to stop that initial shot, but the ball bounced to Kelsie Luddington and Luddington drove it into the right panel for the equalizer.
"What a game," Hornets head coach Liz Pike said. "It was a fantastic battle again a tough Roanoke team. It is never fun to go to PKs but I am happy for Anna who finished it off for us.
"Erin (Septer) had a great save and all of the seniors in the PKs gave us strong performances."
Saturday's game time will be announced by the league office.
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