GREENVILLE, Ill. – The Spalding women's soccer team defeated the Greenville University Panthers in the Championship of the St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SLIAC) tournament on Saturday, 1-0. The Golden Eagles moved on to their first NCAA tournament appearance in school history, while the Panthers ended their season.
TURNING POINT
It was a competitive half to open the SLIAC Finals. It was a battle for the ball in the middle of the field for most of the half. The Golden Eagles' defense held firm, with
Jordan Schneider making a single save. It was a back-and-forth contest to end the first half, 0-0.
In the second half, SU changed the pace of the game. The Golden Eagles went on the attack, firing four shots, putting pressure on the Panther's goalkeeper. Schneider held strong for Spalding, as she made another huge save to keep the game scoreless. Neither team could take a true advantage over the other as time ran out. As the whistle sounded, the game headed to overtime.
Overtime was a fight for both teams. Greenville was putting the pressure on the Golden Eagles' defense, but once again the defense and goalkeeping were too much for the Panthers. All it took was one chance for Spalding to finish this off. At the 109:15 mark,
Faith Rutherford received the ball about 40 yards out. Rutherford used her awareness and recognized the goalkeeper out of position. She shot right over the keeper's outstretched arms and netted the goal. SU closed this one out, 1-0, giving Spalding Women's Soccer their first SLIAC Championship in school history.
GOLDEN EAGLE NOTES
- Jordan Schneider made five saves for the Golden Eagles.
- Faith Rutherford tallied her 11th goal of the season.
- Spalding is making their first NCAA Tournament appearance in school history.
NEXT FOR SPALDING
Spalding will continue play in the DIII NCAA Tournament. The 2023 NCAA Division III Women's Soccer Selection Show will air on Monday, November 6th at 1:30 PM ET on NCAA.com. Stay tuned for updates.
