(Story courtesy of Trinity University Sports Information Department)
SAN ANTONIO, Texas -- No. 6/9 Trinity University Women's Soccer defeated Pacific Lutheran University, 1-0, Sunday night to move into next weekend's NCAA III Women's Soccer Championship Sectionals, the program's third-straight trip into the NCAA III third round.
The Tigers (21-0-3) remained undefeated on a precise attempt from sophomore Michaela Bosco in the 54th minute of action, assisted by senior Alana Wickham.
Trinity's lone score came in the midst of a steep 25-9 advantage in shot attempts at Paul McGinlay Field Sunday, including a 6-2 margin in shots on goal.
The Tigers will visit reigning NCAA III champion Christopher Newport University, who entered the tournament ranked third nationally by both D3soccer.com and United Soccer Coaches, as the first of the next two potential NCAA postseason matches to be played on the campus of the Captains.
The Rundown
Through the first 20 minutes of coast-to-coast play, Trinity held a 6-1 advantage in shots taken though none of the seven attempts caused the match's keepers to move from their respective lines.
Pacific Lutheran began to dwindle the disparity in shot attempts with four unanswered through the following 10 minutes, but after the first wave of reserves came the first on-frame attempt for either side.
The fourth corner of the match, taken by Kyra Stafford, set up a Molly Sheridan header that was deflected for a rebound opportunity through a crowd in the box by Abby Schneider but the draw remained to halftime.
The pace ratcheted up from the strikers on the other side of the intermission as Sheridan sent a pair of on-target alerts to Shaylin Cesar in goal less than four minutes into the second half.
Just into the 54th minute, Emma Everts finally gives purpose to a loose ball in the midfield as she heads forward to Wickham to settle and power through multiple Lutes and find Bosco on the left corner of the 18'. Two dribbles from the sophomore striker set up for a tucked-in, top-shelf strike across the face of the keeper to break the draw.
The Tigers continued the fierce offensive onslaught with eight unanswered shot attempts over a 15-minute span in the heart of the latter period, achieving the primary objective of keeping the ball away from Trinity's defensive third.
The Lutes had one last prime opportunity on a free kick set up straight away from the box just a few yards beyond the 18', which was used as an attempt through the crowd at sophomore keeper Lauryn Lewis who tracked the ball directly to her gloves.
Up Next
Trinity Women's Soccer was the last of the remaining 16 teams to advance from this weekend's NCAA III regional action as the lone Sunday-night matchup, and completes a sectional foursome with Christopher Newport University (VA) as next weekend's host, joined by University of Wisconsin-La Crosse and Virginia Wesleyan University.
The Tigers will battle the reigning NCAA III champion host-Captains in a rematch of last year's NCAA III third-round competition in Cleveland, Ohio where Trinity fell, 1-0, after holding the match scoreless for over 85 minutes.
