Monday Memory: Women's Soccer Advances to NAIA Quarterfinal Round, 3-2, Over Keiser (Fla.)
From the Reinhardt Archives
WALESKA, Ga. – Katie Goodrich scored Reinhardt's second equalizer of the game in the 53rd minute, then Adrien Merrilles netted the game-winner with eight minutes remaining as the No. 14-seeded Eagles defeated No. 3 Keiser, 3-2, in the second round of the NAIA Women's Soccer National Championship in Orange Beach, Ala., on Nov. 29, 2016.
Today's Monday Memory highlights how while playing Keiser for the third occasion in two seasons, the Eagles would not be beaten for a third time.
Each time Keiser scored, the Eagles answered.
When Reinhardt finally went on top, it would be Keiser that couldn't come back.
"I feel like we're a good to very good team – we're not a great team – but, I think we're the toughest team in the country," head coach Andy Kaplan said. "I've never seen a team that has the mental toughness like this. We knew we'd have the wind in the second half, but to withstand the pounding that we took in the first half and come back just speaks to the character of this team."
Goodrich scored in the 53rd minute of the contest to help Reinhardt tie the score for the second time.
As Keiser tried to clear the ball, it bounced off of a heel and came straight to the junior. The Cumming, Ga., native beat one defender, then as Keiser's center backs tried to collapse, Goodrich sliced a shot along the ground and into the bottom corner of the net to tie the score.
As the game moved later, the Eagles found a way to earn the win.
Victoria Cassidy intercepted a ball on a Keiser clearing attempt, then moved it back to Megan Monroe. Monroe slipped back to Katie Hale, who found Amber Jent streaking down the left flank. Instead of going all the way down the flank, the senior cut back toward the middle of the field and lofted a pass toward the top of the box.
Merrilles met the ball, took a dribble, then chipped a shot into the top of the net to give the Eagles a 3-2 advantage.
Reinhardt's Nina Haeberlin earned the win in goal after stepping into net for the Eagles and making four saves in the second half.
"It's a hard switch to make, because Taylor's had an amazing year," Kaplan said, "But they were shooting high and Nina gave us more strength in the air. She came in and made a couple of really big saves and really showed some confidence. She hasn't seen game action in the last two months, but she came in and was just outstanding."
Merrilles nearly put Reinhardt ahead 40 seconds earlier when she stole the ball from Keiser keeper Elsa Netz, but her shot went just high of the bar. Goodrich almost made it 4-2 in the dying seconds, but her shot went just over the bar as well.
That ended up working just as well for the Eagles, as by the time Keiser put the ball back in play, only three seconds remained in the contest as Reinhardt earned the win.
A goal by Keiser's Fillips Millqvist made it 1-0 with 20:42 gone by, but less than 40 seconds later, Merrilles forced an own goal to tie things up. The freshman recovered the ball twice after blocked shots, then slipped towards the goal line, where she delivered a cross. The ball deflected off a Keiser defender and into the upper corner of the net, giving the Eagles the equalizer.
Millqvist would net her second goal in the game's 30th minute, and the game would head to halftime with the Seahawks ahead, 2-1.
Reinhardt was out-shot 11-1 in the first half, but the Eagles withstood the pressure to trail by just one after 45 minutes.
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