ALLENDALE, Mich. – Senior forward Alli Pavlik scored twice, including the decisive golden goal with just seconds to spare in double overtime as fifth-seeded Ohio Dominican toppled No. 4 McKendree on Friday in the NCAA Championship Midwest Regional.
An initial shot from Allie Atkinson was saved by the left hand of McKendree goalkeeper Zoe Brochu, but Pavlik was positioned perfectly to push the ball across the line.
Play was temporarily stalled as players waited for confirmation before center official Nicole Green signaled for the goal with less than a minute before PK’s would have ensued.
The Panthers earned the first playoff win in the national tournament by a Great Midwest Athletic Conference women’s soccer program and did it in upset fashion.
ODU (16-4-2 overall) now advances to face No. 1 seed and region host Grand Valley State in Sunday’s semifinal contest with a 1 p.m. ET start time.
The Panthers erased any lingering effects from a tough way to end the conference tournament, a 6-5 decision in PK’s with two sudden-death chances in the championship final.
Ohio Dominican hinged its hopes on an at-large selection and the Panthers were not disappointed from the selection show that aired on Monday night.
The Panthers faced an 1-0 deficit in the first half as Sydney Carroll was able to sneak one by the defense at the 37:56 mark.
Ohio Dominican’s defense, anchored by Cheyenne Story, Lindsey Buten and others, really clamped down after that point to limit opportunities for Carroll, the 2016 GLVC Offensive Player of the Year.
Pavlik brought the match to stalemate before the midway point of the second half, striking for what was her 10th goal of the season. The two teams then battled until the end of the regulation with no more scoring changes.
Pavlik as a Great Midwest Second Team All-Conference selection by the league’s coaches.
The Panthers noticeably had more energy past regulation and worked their way deep into the Bearcats’ defensive zone to give the offense a chance with a game-ending playmaking opportunity.
Ohio Dominican is the lone Great Midwest team remaining in the NCAA Championship Midwest Region bracket after No. 3 Ohio Valley was ousted on Thursday against No. 6 seed Bellarmine. The conference has now had a total of four NCAA qualifiers since 2012 (2015 - Cedarville, 2016 - Davis & Elkins).