In a surprising turn of events, the Theta Delta Omicron Tigers defeated the Pi Delta Chi Classics 1-0 with an arching shot from sophomore forward Jennifer Buckley. Both teams played stellar defense throughout the game, and Buckley’s strike was the only one that found the back of the net.
Tigers’ senior fullback Julianna LeGrand and junior fullback Sarah Iwanowycz kept the Classics’ offense at bay. Pi Delta’s sophomore forward Lacy Harris and freshman forward Spencer Martin could not get the ball past Tigers’ sophomore goalie Rebecca Bredehoft. This was the biggest factor in Theta Delta’s advance to the semifinals.
The Tigers’ coach Bredehoft attributed the win to their ability to stop the other team. “Our passes were good this game,” Bredehoft said. She said her team looks to out-hustle the opposition as they head to the semifinals in the American League.
The Theta Sigma Chi Colts faced off against the Theta Mu Theta Bandits on Monday, March 4, and used three second-half goals to take home the victory, 3-0.
Theta Sigma, 5-0-1, came out playing strong defense against Theta Mu’s relentless offensive attack. The Bandits, 6-2-0, were awarded an indirect free kick in the first half, but the Colts’ goalie, senior Lauren Berry, was able to corral the ball. The Bandits survived a scare near the end of the first half as the ball dribbled past their goalie, but sophomore defender Victoria Simonaire was able to clear the ball from danger. Neither team was able to break the deadlock, and the half ended 1-1.
The Colts came out firing in the second half. “Second half we played more offensive,” Colts’ coach, senior Chelsea Kern, said. “The key to winning was pushing [the ball] forward and following through.”
A Theta Sigma forward scored on a volley five minutes into the half, and then Kern netted another goal just minutes later to extend the lead to 2-0. Another goal in the closing minutes completed the Colts’ scoring efforts.
Kern was optimistic about her team’s chances in the semifinals as she defined her team’s goals for the next round. “One [goal] would be playing for the honor and glory of God no matter what happens. [The second goal] would be confidence, and [the third goal] would be [to] keep playing as a team,” Kern said.