WEST CHESTER, Pa. (Nov. 16) – The California University of Pennsylvania women's soccer team battled to a 2-2 double-overtime tie and lost 4-2 in the shootout at No. 18 West Chester in the second round of the NCAA Tournament on Sunday afternoon.
With the tie, the sixth-seeded Vulcans finished the season with a 12-4-6 overall while making the NCAA Tournament for the sixth-consecutive year. Meanwhile, the second-seeded Golden Rams move to 16-2-2 this season and will host fifth-seeded West Virginia Wesleyan, who upset top-seeded East Stroudsburg on Sunday, in the third round of the NCAA Tournament.
The teams combined for five shots in the opening 10 minutes of the games before Cal U took a 1-0 lead in the 29th minute when junior
Janelle McCann (Burlington, Vt./Tilton School) scored her team-leading 14th goal of the season after placing the shot into the far left corner. The Golden Rams answered at the 34:01-mark when senior Cara Deola tied score at 1-1 with a rebound goal that originally was saved and hit the crossbar.
West Chester took a 2-1 lead early in the second half sophomore Kara Parvel scored from close range with a shot on the right post in the 49th minute. In the closing minutes of regulation, the Vulcans tied the score at 2-2 when senior
Chelsea Crockett (Gilmanton, N.H./Gilford) converted a penalty kick, her 12th goal of the year, at the 87:00-mark.
The teams managed only shot attempt in the two overtime periods before the game went to a shootout after 110 minutes. Cal U and West Chester each made their initial two shot attempts and the Golden Rams held a 3-2 advantage before the Vulcans missed their third shot. The Golden Rams converted their fourth shot before stopping the ensuing attempt by the Vulcans to secure a 4-2 shootout victory.
Sophomore goalkeeper
Meghan Jayes (New Albany, Ohio/New Albany) finished with four saves in the contest, while West Chester goalkeeper Alex Srolis tallied nine saves on Sunday.
The Vulcans finished with an 18-9 shot advantage, including an 8-3 edge in the second half. Both teams finished with four corner kicks after West Chester registered a corner in each overtime period.
