Thomas More women win fifth-straight PAC soccer title

Thomas More women win fifth-straight PAC soccer title

Bookmark and Share

CRESTVIEW HILLS, Ky. (pacathletics.org) – Top-seeded Thomas More College won its fifth-straight Presidents’ Athletic Conference (PAC) Women’s Soccer Championship Tournament title with a 1-0 win over third-seeded Grove City College Saturday.

This year’s championship match was played at Thomas More’s BB&T field.

Saturday's match marked the fourth consecutive season that Thomas More (17-0-2) and Grove City (11-6-4) have met in the conference finals, with the Saints winning the last three by a 1-0 margin (2015, 2014, 2013).

By claiming the PAC Championship Tournament title, Thomas More secured the league’s automatic qualifying bid for the NCAA Division III Championship Tournament. The NCAA will announce its field and opening-round matchups for its Division III Championship Tournament on Monday, November 9 at 1 p.m. The selection show is scheduled to stream live at ncaa.com.

Saturday’s win was Thomas More’s sixth league title since joining the PAC in 2005.
 
2015 PAC Women's Soccer Championship Tournament – Championship
Saturday, November 7
BB&T Field :: Crestview Hills, Ky.
#3 Grove City at #1 Thomas More
Thomas More 1, Grove City 0
The Saints grabbed a 1-0 lead in the 32nd minute when sophomore forward Julia Flagge-Echols (Colerain, Ohio/Colerain) netted the eventual game winner off of an assist from senior forward Olivia Huber (Woodlawn, Ky./Newport Central Catholic).  Junior goalkeeper Megan Barton (Florence, Ky./Villa Madonna) earned the shutout win, playing all 90 minutes and recording two saves. Grove City senior goalkeeper Nicole Lapia (Pittsburgh, Pa./Chartiers Valley) finished with three saves.
 
2015 PAC Women's Soccer Championship Tournament – Semifinal
Tuesday, November 3
BB&T Field :: Crestview Hills, Ky.
#4 Westminster at #1 Thomas More
Thomas More 3, Westminster 0
The top-seeded Saints will be playing for their fifth-straight league title Saturday after defeating Westminster 3-0 in Tuesday’s semifinal. Thomas More grabbed a 1-0 lead in the 25th minute when junior midfielder Erica LaRosa (Cincinnati, Ohio/Seton) scored off of an assist from senior forward Olivia Huber (Woodlawn, Ky./Newport Central Catholic). Huber gave the Saints a 2-0 lead in the 32nd minute after scoring on a penalty kick. The goal was Huber's 98th, which broke the PAC’s all-time goals record of 97 that was previously held by Lisa Juskowich of Waynesburg (1998-2001). The Saints closed out the scoring in the 55th minute when sophomore defender Samantha Goodwin (Cincinnati, Ohio/Seton) scored from 40 yards out. Junior goalkeeper Megan Barton (Florence, Ky./Villa Madonna) earned the shutout win, her 12th of the season, which established new Thomas More and PAC single-season shutout records. It was also her 26th career shutout, which set new Thomas More and PAC marks. Westminster sophomore goalkeeper Laura Page (Bethel Park, Pa./Bethel Park) finished with seven saves in 58 minutes of action.
 
2015 PAC Women's Soccer Championship Tournament – Semifinal
Tuesday, November 3
Alexandre Stadium :: Washington, Pa.
#3 Grove City at #2 W&J
Grove City 0, W&J 0 (2OT)
Grove City wins shootout 6-5 (7 rounds) 
After battling W&J to a 0-0 double-overtime draw, Grove City sophomore midfielder Lindsay Hutton (Hackettstown, N.J./Hackettstown) gave the Wolverines a 6-5 lead in the seventh round of the shootout before senior goalkeeper Nicole Lapia (Pittsburgh, Pa./Chartiers Valley) stopped W&J junior midfielder Aundria Snyder’s (DuBois, Pa./DuBois Central Christian) seventh-round attempt. During 110 minutes of play, Lapia totaled seven saves to help the Wolverines secure their 11th shutout of the season. Tuesday’s shootout win marks the second-straight year that Grove City has advanced out of the semifinals by winning a shootout. In 2014, Grove City defeated Westminster, 7-6, in a shootout at College Field in Grove City, Pa.. W&J sophomore goalkeeper Allison Rinehimer (Berwick, Pa./Berwick Area) finished with seven saves in her seventh shutout of the year.