(LEBANON, Ill., Nov. 7)—The McKendree College women's soccer team has advanced to the NAIA Region V Tournament Championship game with a 3-1 win over William Jewell College on Monday.

     McKendree, the No. 2 seed, and William Jewell, the No. 3 seed, withstood each other's quick starts with both teams hitting the cross-bar multiple times on shots in the first-half.

     The game went into the second-half tied 0-0, however Bearcat Brittany Fuzessery (Granite City, Ill./Granite City) broke the scoreless tie with a goal just eight-minutes into the second half. Fuzessery knocked a head-ball into the net off a corner-kick from Katelyn Cleveland (Collinsville, Ill./Collinsville).

     The Bearcats extended their lead to 2-0 when Meghan Rooney scored after following a rebound on a shot from Jenna Shellenberg (Troy, Ill./Triad).

     McKendree grabbed a commanding 3-0 lead when Ray Ray Cole (Raytown, Mo./St. Teresa's) scored at the 82-minute mark. Cole (right) was set up by Shellenberg who drew two Cardinal defenders before feeding the ball to the midfield and a wide-open Cole.

     William Jewell added a late goal with just two-minutes remaining, however it was too little too late. This marks the third straight year that McKendree and William Jewell have met in the NAIA Region V playoffs. McKendree won this year's game and won in 2003 but fell in last year's match-up.

     McKendree keeper Natalie Jameson (Troy, Ill./Triad) made eight saves in picking up the win. McKendree improves to 15-2-1 overall and will face the winner of No. 1 seed Graceland and No. 4 Lindenwood University on Wednesday. The game will be played at the higher seeds home site.