Box Score A goal from
Lauren Norton in the 59th minute gave Kentucky Wesleyan women's soccer exactly what it needed to make history-a lead late in a soccer match.
In addition to Norton's goal,
Paige Kramer and
Leslie Chinn would each score for KWC and the Panthers went on to beat Cedarville 3-1 in the quarterfinals of the Great Midwest Athletic Conference tournament. For the program, it marked the first time in the 35-year history of soccer (and 21-year history for women's soccer) that either team won a conference tournament game.
Kramer's fifth goal of the season came in the third minute when she settled the ball and dribbled around three defenders before depositing the ball in the back of the net to give KWC a 1-0 lead. Cedarville would fight back though to tie the score at one in the 38th minute and that would be the score going into the half.
"We knew what kind of game it was going to be coming in," said head coach
Jamie Duvall. "Cedarville is a really good team. We knew what to expect. Really, it came down to who wanted it more and who could execute when the time was right. We were given opportunities and we were able to finish."
Cedarville maintained control of the ball early in the second half and assaulted Panther goalkeeper
Kathryn Dishion, who finished with seven saves. None of those shots went through and KWC finally captured some control.
Norton's goal came on a serve from
Annie Elder, who was at midfield when she kicked it, and the ball hopped over the Cedarville line. Norton ran down the ball and put it in the net from about nine yards away to give the Panthers a lead they would never relinquish.Â
Leslie Chinn would add her third goal of the season in the 69th minute on a header from a throw-in by
Penni Pluimer to bring the score to its final margin of 3-1.
KWC now moves onto the semifinals of the G-MAC Tournament, which will be played on Thursday in Pepper Pike, Ohio against number one seed Cedarville.
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