Editor's Note: This is the fourth in a 10-part series recapping the Top 10 sports moments of the 2013-14 year at Davenport University as compiled by the DU Sports Information Department. New moments will be revealed over the next few weeks. See the bottom of the page for links to all of the top-ten moments and a full schedule. If you would like to make any comments about the selections, please email athletics@davenport.edu or post our questions to twitter (@DUAthletics) or visit our facebook page (@DUAthletics).November 15, 2013 |
Box Score |
Photo Gallery GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – The No. 10 Davenport women's soccer team is going back to nationals; and they had to do it in familiar fashion beating Northwestern Ohio in a shootout 4-3.
After the Panthers and Northwestern Ohio went scoreless for 110 minutes in the Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference Tournament final, the conference's automatic bid to the NAIA Tournament had to be decided in a shootout. Four Panthers found the back of the net while Keeper
Michelle Marcus made two stops and one shot that went high gave the Panthers their second straight WHAC Tournament trophy and punch a ticket back to the NAIA National Championship with a 4-3 shootout victory.
The Panthers will find out Monday at 3 p.m. EST where they are heading to open the first round of the NAIA tournament during the selection show.
It is the second straight season the WHAC Tournament had to be decided in a shootout, with DU besting Indiana Tech 4-1 last season.
After Northwestern Ohio's Sara Olofsson stopped
Paige Eli's shot to start the shootout, Taryn Pardoe beat Marcus for the 1-0 lead.
Shameeka Fishley evened the score and Marcus stopped Anja Koempel to keep it 1-1 after two attempts.
Tam Grzybowski followed and put Davenport ahead of UNOH 2-1 while Marcus blocked Nadine Stonjek's shot to preserve the lead after three. Olofsson kept the Racers alive by stopping
Thelma Gylfadottir's shot and Jade Widdows tied it up again 2-2. After
Abbey Tyson and Sarah Huchet were both successful in the fourth round,
Lizzie Paul connected the fourth goal and Hannah Baines' shot went over the crossbar to secure the Panthers win.
While Davenport outshot Northwestern Ohio 18-10 in both regulation and overtime, both teams each had to make six saves. The England tandem of
Letesha Cannonier and
Paige Eli both led the Panthers with five shots each, with two of Cannonier's shots on goal. The Panthers defense also held WHAC Newcomer of the Year and conference leading scorer Frida Bremer to no shots.
DU had several opportunities during regulation to break the ice. In the first half,
Lizzie Paul took a shot about 35 yards out that arched underneath the crossbar but Olofsson made a one-handed punch to send the ball out of bounds. Another opportunity came within the final minute of regulation, when
Letesha Cannonier couldn't capitalize in the goal box to score into an uncovered spot in the net.
December 3, 2013 |
Box Score |
Photo Gallery ORANGE BEACH, Ala. – The Davenport women's soccer team showed they are not ready to head back home just yet, as
Paige Eli completed the comeback with a goal in the 102nd minute.
Trailing by one all throughout the second half, senior
Thelma Gylfadottir set up two late goals that kept the Panthers national championship hopes alive.
Letesha Cannonier knotted the match 2-2 in the 88
th minute and fellow England native
Paige Eli blasted the golden goal at 101:46 to lift the Panthers to a 3-2 double overtime victory over Cumberland (Tenn.) in the second round of the NAIA National Championship Tuesday afternoon.
Davenport (20-2-1) will now face Westmont (Calif.) in the quarterfinal round Wednesday at 2:30 p.m. EST.
Two minutes into the second overtime period, Gylfadottir used excellent footwork to play keep away with the Bulldog defense inside the goal box. As it looked like she was going to pass it to an uncovered
Lizzie Paul on the right side, she fooled the Bulldogs by passing to Eli in the front of the box who blasted it to an uncovered spot in the net.
The Bulldogs (16-4-1) jumped ahead 1-0 in the ninth minute when Olivia Chu dribbled deep into the Panthers territory and fired at the top of the penalty line to beat DU keeper
Michelle Marcus.
DU had one close opportunity to answer back when Eli took a beautiful corner kick into the goal box but the Panthers couldn't capitalize and send in the final touch and Cumberland successfully cleared the ball out of danger. The Panthers though did get the goal back in the 13
th minute when Paul took a shot off a rebound in the penalty box, clipping the crossbar and into the net.
Cumberland regained the lead in somewhat of an unusual way in the 25
th minute. Chu dribbled down the left flank and as her chipper appeared to cross into the goal box, the ball hits the right post and bounces into the net.
Davenport came back from intermission with a lot of aggression. About 15 minutes into the second half, Eli sent another corner kick to the right side where Cannonier made several touches in the goal box before giving Paul a chance, but the senior's shot was brilliantly saved by Bulldog keeper Lindsay Kitson.
Another chance arrived with 12 minutes left when
Shameeka Fishley fired a shot that hit the crossbar and bounced on the edge of the goal line, allowing Kitson get it out of danger.
The patience paid off within the final minutes of regulation for Davenport.
Thelma Gylfadottir connected to Cannonier inside the goal box and after playing keep away from the Cumberland defense, Cannonier took a shot over Kitson's head and into the net.
Davenport was dominant in the second half, outshooting Cumberland 14-1 and 6-0 in corner kick chances. Both teams would trade off close chances during the overtime period before Eli knocked in the golden goal.
#10 – Catic's Golden Goal Beats Aquinas in 2OT#9 - Benitez Claims WHAC Medalist Honors#8 - Ford Breaks Men's Basketball Scoring Record#7 - Spiech and Fuentes Dominate ITA Regional#6 - Manning's Walk-Off Clinches WHAC Baseball Tournament#5 - DU Selected to Host NAIA Softball Opening Round#4 - Thrilling Finishes Lift Women's Soccer to Elite 8#3 - Wednesday, June 25#2 - Monday, June 30#1- Wednesday, July 2
