(LEBANON, Ill., Nov. 7) – The McKendree University women’s soccer team won their third straight NAIA Region V championship Wednesday night by defeating Benedictine College in a shootout. Both teams played to a 2-2 draw through two overtimes and McKendree advanced after winning the shootout 5-4.

 

Sophomore Sarah Ryan (Rochester, Ill./Rochester) (Rochester, Ill./Rochester) scored both McKendree goals in regulation and senior Nicole Chappell (Highland, Ill./Triad) (Highland, Ill./Triad) made the game-winning goal in the shootout to send the Bearcats to the NAIA National Championships for the third straight year.

 

“This is one of the best soccer games I’ve ever seen on this field,” said head coach Tim Strange. “I couldn’t be more proud of how this team played.”

 

Benedictine took a 1-0 lead into halftime off a goal by Tricia Hutchison, only for Ryan to tie the game and give the Bearcats the lead with two goals in the second half off assists by senior Lucy Elliot (Southampton, England) and freshman Ilana Milkez (Bogota, Colombia/Lycee Francais) (Bogota, Colombia). Benedictine then tied the game with a goal by Teal Swanson with seven minutes to play to send it to overtime.

 

Both teams battled back and forth through both overtimes but neither could score, sending it into a shootout. Both teams traded scores until Chappell gave the Bearcats the win by shooting it past  Raven goalkeeper Anne Freudenberg’s right side.

 

The Bearcats, now 15-2-2 overall, advance to the 24^th annual NAIA National Championships hosted by Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach, Fla. November 14-20.

McKENDREE UNIVERSITY WOMEN’S SOCCER RESULT
McKENDREE VS. BENEDICTINE
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2007
 
Team                1          2          OT1      OT2
Benedictine       1          1          0          0         
McKendree       0          2          0          0

 

Sarah Ryan (Rochester, Ill./Rochester) (2)

Tricia Hutchison, Teal Swanson

Goalkeeper –
McKendree:      Liz Yanko (St. Louis, Mo./Rosati-Kain), 110 minutes played,6 saves
Benedictine:      Anne Freudenberg, 110 minutes played, 15 saves
 
McKendree is 15-2-2 overall, Benedictine is 16-4-1 overall