GROVE CITY, Pa. (pacathletics.org) - For the eighth time in its 31-year history, the Grove City College women's soccer team sits atop the Presidents' Athletic Conference, as the Wolverines erased an early deficit to charge past visiting Franciscan University by a 4-2 score Saturday in the PAC Tournament title match at Don Lyle Field. 

In completing an unbeaten run through the conference, Grove City, who went 9-0-1 in PAC regular season play before winning both games in the Tournament, captured its first conference crown since 2019. The win also secures Grove City's sixth all-time NCAA Division III Championship Tournament berth.

Junior forward Emma Herrmann (Hilton, N.Y./Paul V. Moore) scored twice for the top-seeded Wolverines (14-4-1), while classmate Britta Lagerquist (Pittsburgh, Pa./Fox Chapel) added a goal and two assists. Freshman midfielder Tori Stevenson (Butler, Pa./Butler) added a goal and an assist for Grove City, which extended its win streak to nine matches. 

Sixth-seeded Franciscan (8-8-2), who reached their second Tournament final in a row by knocking off the No. 3 and No. 2 seeds in previous rounds, snagged a 1-0 lead at 22:23 when senior Gabriella de la Torre (Fort Worth, Texas/Homeschooled) scored her fifth goal of the season. The goal was assisted by junior Judah Thomason (Ypsilanti, Mich./Homeschool) and senior Juliana Rubino (Ashburn, Va./Stone Bridge).

Grove City answered right back and forged a 1-1 tie 12 minutes later when Stevenson scored the equalizer at 34:23. Lagerquist assisted Stevenson's score, her fifth goal of the year. 

Herrmann gave Grove City a 2-1 lead at 42:04 when she converted a penalty kick. A pivotal point in the match came just over a minute later when Franciscan was awarded a PK with a chance to even the score. However, the attempt banged off the right post and Grove City cleared the rebound away, preserving the 2-1 lead they took to halftime.

Carrying that momentum through halftime, the Wolverines then doubled the lead 17 seconds into the second half as Lagerquist scored an unassisted goal.

Franciscan cut the lead to 3-2 at 46:46 though, as de la Torre scored an unassisted goal for her second of the match. However, Herrmann helped sew up the win by scoring her 20th goal of the season at the 66:52 mark. Lagerquist and Stevenson both had assists on the score.

Grove City held a 10-8 edge in shots on goal. Franciscan outshot Grove City overall, 20-16. The Barons had five corner kicks while Grove City had three corners. 

In goal for the Barons, junior keeper Rebekka Dill (Setauket, N.Y./Ward Melville) stopped six shots.

Grove City junior goalkeeper Courtney Lisman (Mars, Pa./Mars) earned her program-record 35th career victory by making six saves. Senior defender Rachel Sullivan (Simsbury, Conn./Simsbury) helped preserve Grove City's lead in the second half by clearing a likely goal off of the back line.

Herrmann's 20 goals this season are No. 2 on Grove City's single-season scoring list, as are her 43 points. Lagerquist leads Grove City with 10 assists, which is tied for fifth on Grove City's single-season list.

Grove City also won conference titles in 1995, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2001, 2018 and 2019. The Wolverines previously qualified for the NCAA Tournament in 2002, 2003, 2012, 2018 and 2019. Grove City's destination in the NCAA Tournament will be announced Monday afternoon.

Contributed by Grove City Sports Information