Eagles Win First Round of Nationals in OT

By Erinn Marroquin - photo by G-Rox

HATTIESBURG, MS.- The Reinhardt University Women's Soccer team has won their match in the first round of the NAIA Women's Soccer Championship with a 3-2 win over Missouri Valley College (MO.). A close match with a goal in the 97th minute allowed the Eagles to advance over the Vikings. 

When asked about the match, Head Coach Andy Kaplan said, "Our team keeps coming up with courageous performances. We sustained 2 more serious injuries tonight and different players came off the bench and performed great! I have never seen a group that overcomes adversity so easily. Every challenge that has come our way has been solved. It made me so happy to see our team using lessons they have learned from our Navy SEAL instructor, Jason Kuhn. Our seniors deserve so much credit for leading us to victory. Thank you to Caroline Johnson, Elisabeth Dunlap, Sierra Ruetten, Mary Kate Williamson, Kaitlyn Lauk, and Kaylee Haas." 

The Eagles had an explosive start as a cross from the far left of the field bounced around the box until Marta Vicente-Arche was ready for the chaos and blasted a ball from 6 yards out into the back of the net, helping the Eagles gain the lead 1-0 in the first two minutes of play. 

The Vikings were determined to even the score, but a high shot was stopped with a one handed save from Caroline Johnson in the 11th minute. Missouri Valley continued this persistence and tallied their first goal of the night in the 13th minute, evening out the score 1-1. 

The action in the first half continued as a quick breakthrough from Reinhardt in the 25th minute allowed Ryelyn Wells to slice through the defense and place a perfect pass through a Viking defender that Lauren Akemon one touched into the net to regain the lead 2-1. 

Missouri Valley was desperate to tally another goal before the end of the match but three more saves by Johnson did not allow them to achieve this desire, as Reinhardt went into half-time 2-1. 

The first 30 minutes of the second half were filled with shots from the Vikings but strong defense from the backline and Johnson were not giving Missouri Valley the results they were hoping for until a free kick from the Vikings resulted in an own goal for the Eagles to tie up the score 2-2 in the 77th minute of play. This score remained until the 90th minute forcing the teams to go into overtime to decide the winner. 

Caroline Johnson tallied her seventh save of the match in the 92nd minute which was quickly followed with a decision by Coach Kaplan to make an integral substitution in Kerstyn Thompson. This proved to be the right decision as a deep free kick from the Eagles allowed Ryelyn Wells to break through on the right side of the field as she fired a right-footed cross that Kerstyn Thompson took out of the air and finished in the back of the net to give the Eagles their third goal of the match and the ticket to the championship of the Hattiesburg Bracket of the NAIA Women's Soccer Championship Opening Round. 

The Eagles are set to play the number one seeded team in the bracket, the Crusaders of William Carey University (MS.) on Saturday, November 20th with a kick-off set for 2:00 PM. 

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For more information on Reinhardt Women's Soccer, please click here.