Thomas More earns seventh-straight PAC women’s soccer title

Thomas More earns seventh-straight PAC women’s soccer title

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2017 PAC Women's Soccer Championship Tournament information

CRESTVIEW HILLS, Ky. (pacathletics.org) – Top-seeded Thomas More College won its seventh-straight Presidents’ Athletic Conference (PAC) Women’s Soccer Championship Tournament title with a 2-0 victory over second-seeded Grove City College Friday afternoon at BB&T Field.

Friday marked the sixth-straight season that Thomas More (15-4-1) and Grove City (15-5) have met in the conference tournament finals. The Saints had won the previous four championship meetings by a 1-0 margin (2013-16). The title was Thomas More’s eighth since joining the league in 2005. 

With the victory, Thomas More receives the PAC’s automatic qualifying bid to the NCAA Division III Championship, with the first and second rounds scheduled to get underway Saturday-Sunday, November 11-12. Selections for the Division III Championship will be announced on Monday, November 6 at 1 p.m. (EDT) via web stream on NCAA.com.
 
Friday, November 3
PAC Championship Tournament – Title match
#2 Grove City at #1 Thomas More
BB&T Field – Crestview Hills, Ky.
Result: Thomas More 2, Grove City 0
Box score
Thomas More, led by first-year head coach Kim McGowan, took a 1-0 lead in the eighth minute when first-year Hannah Dargo (Maineville, Ohio | Kings) scored off of a cross by sophomore Kristina Felix (Burlington, Ky. | St. Henry). First-year Ashley Maples (Springboro, Ohio | Archbishop Alter) gave the Saints an insurance goal in the 85th minute when she drilled a shot into the upper left corner of the goal. Sophomore Maddy Kim (California, Ky. | Notre Dame) earned the shutout, tying a PAC match high this season with 15 saves in the win. Senior Trishae Winters (Pittsburgh, Pa. | Hampton) stopped four shots for Grove City, which had won 10 straight matches prior to Friday. 
 
Tuesday, October 31
PAC Championship Tournament – Semifinal 2
#3 W&J at #2 Grove City
BB&T Field – Crestview Hills, Ky.
Result: Grove City 2, W&J 1
Box score
Sophomore midfielder Ruby Mattson (Dallas, Pa. | Dallas) gave Grove City, now winners of 10-straight matches, a 1-0 lead in the 38th minute when she scored from just outside the penalty area. Senior forward Katherine Kouzelos (Akron, Ohio | Cuyahoga Valley Christian) assisted Mattson's goal, her eighth score this season. W&J senior midfielder Ashton Grimm (Connellsville, Pa. | Connellsville) evened the match at 1-1 after scoring from the left win in the 41st minute. Grove City broke the 1-1 tie in the 87th minute when freshman forward Michaela Burke (Gilbert, Ariz. | Gilbert Christian) headed in a Mattson throw-in. The goal was Burke’s second game-winning goal of the season and her seventh overall score. Senior Trishae Winters (Pittsburgh, Pa. | Hampton) made a season-high 10 saves for Grove City.Senior Allison Rinehimer (Berwick, Pa. | Berwick Area)  totaled six saves for W&J. Grove City owns a 3-0-2 mark against W&J in their last five postseason meetings, all of which have been in the championship tournament’s semifinal round.
 
Tuesday, October 31
PAC Championship Tournament – Semifinal 1
#4 Chatham at #1 Thomas More
BB&T Field – Crestview Hills, Ky.
Result: Thomas More 2, Chatham 1
Box score 
 Thomas More grabbed a 1-0 lead in the 66th minute of play when senior midfielder Cori Ziegler (California, Ky. | Bishop Brossart) scored off an assist from senior midfielder Kaitlyn Armentrout (Cincinnati, Ohio | Oak Hills). Sophomore forward Shaye Isaacs (Nicholasville, Ky. | West Jessamine) headed in a corner kick off of the foot of first-year forward Ashley Maples (Springboro, Ohio | Archbishop Alter) in the 73rd minute to push Thomas More’s lead to 2-0. Midfielder Julie Bruening (Madison, Ohio | Madison) scored in the 86th minute, marking Chatham’s first-ever goal scored against the Saints. Sophomore goalkeeper Maddy Kim (California, Ky. | Notre Dame Academy) earned the win in net for Thomas More, totaling three saves in a complete-match effort. Chatham first-year keeper Ashley Bergman (Allison Park, Pa. | Hampton) made 10 saves in the loss.