ST. LOUIS - Westminster women's soccer overcame Fontbonne in the St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference semi-final match, winning 3-2 on penalty kicks. The team advances to the SLIAC final Saturday at Westminster.
The Blue Jays advance to their first SLIAC Championship match for the first time since 2015, when the team won the Tournament.
"Every player stepped up in a big way," said Westminster Coach Wendy Sanchez, who coached in her first postgame tournament as a Head Coach. "I'm really proud of the team and everything they've aspired to do, they continue to accomplish big things."
The Griffins scored early in the match to give themselves a 1-0 lead in the 24th minute. Westminster played the next 50 minutes unable to match, until Katherine Hammond blasted in a 25-yard goal in the 78th minute on a free kick that sailed in the top left corner of the net, evening the score at one goal apiece.
The Blue Jays held off the Fontbonne attack in the final 12 minutes of play to force overtime.
"We did not quit on any plays in the second half and we were rewarded for that effort with Kat's amazing goal," said Sanchez. "Cara and Alaina were outstanding for us in the back and they really kept the team composed which carried us into our penalty kicks."
Neither team was able to create many chances in overtime, logging just one shot for either team, sending the game into penalty kicks.
Fontbonne missed three of the penalty kicks, incuding two saves from Sarah Cradick, while Hammond, Heidi Gundy, and Cara Wilfong scored the three to send the Blue Jays to the SLIAC title match.
Westminster will host the final match Friday at Kent and Judy Mueller Stadium. This is just the second time in conference history that the two lower seeds will face off for the championship. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.
