Official Championship Page
INDIANAPOLIS – The spring playoffs kick off tomorrow at four different campus sites around the Great Midwest Athletic Conference Women’s Soccer Championship bracket, all hoping for a chance to advance to the final four in Columbus, Ohio.
The four winners will make their way to Ohio Dominican University as the Panthers are set to host both men’s and women’s round of semifinals and the championship contest next week.
But first, the opening-round quarterfinals are awaiting for the top eight seeds by virtue of their conference point totals in the standings during the spring season.
No. 8 Tiffin vs. No. 1 Findlay
The Oilers and Dragons met less than a week ago towards the tail end of the regular season. Findlay scored both of their goals in the first half as Sage Schnell and Hannah Rybicki cashed in offensively. Trip Rogers led the Oilers to the tournament’s top seed and a regular season conference title in his first year at the helm. Tiffin’s program is making its postseason appearance as a member of the Great Midwest under head coach Dean Joseph and the Dragons have certainly turned the corner in the program’s development. Tiffin’s wins against Walsh and Ohio Dominican are very impressive and battling former conference champion Ohio Valley to a scoreless draw in the season opener set the tone. UF’s Olivia Frank tied for the league lead in goals (5) and points (12) while TU’s Kaelyn Harkness has a pair of game winners. UF freshman keeper Kennedy Slovak is second in both goals against and save percentage. Both Frank and Harkness have been conference player of the week this spring.
No. 5 Walsh vs. No. 4 Ohio Valley
Schoenbaum Stadium in Charleston, WV, will be home to a compelling matchup between the co-preseason favorite Cavaliers and the Fighting Scots, picked last in the preseason coaches poll. Both programs have had their series of ups and downs during their only matchup back on March 28, a Walsh 1-0 win, but are looking forward to a fresh start to add to their already proven playoff success in the conference tournament. Walsh won its first four games this season, but dropped five straight decisions before finishing on a strong note by blanking Ursuline. OVU has won two straight coming in and has wins vs. playoff qualifiers Cedarville and Trevecca Nazarene. Walsh’s Hannah Stein is one of a handful of players with 5 goals (including 3 game winners) in the conference and OVU’s Nataly Chauta tied for the league lead in assists (4).
No. 6 Trevecca Nazarene vs. No. 3 Cedarville
Two programs that are very familiar with each other since the league’s inception as charter members will battle for the right to move on into the semis. The Yellow Jackets, winners of six straight, emerged with a narrow victory down in Nashville during the regular season meeting, 3-2. On paper, these teams are pretty tough to tell apart, including 15 goals scored by Cedarville and 14 scored by TNU. Cedarville’s Mary Kate Wyer has been the offensive ringleader for her team with 11 points including five goals and one assist. Abbigail Legg and Danyel Joy each have eight points for the Trojans, who have qualified for the conference tournament in every season except one in nine tries. Cedarville is a perfect 9-for-9 in playoff appearances is seeking its first conference tournament title since 2015. The Trojans won the first title in 2012 and earned the top seed in the 2016 championship tournament.
No. 7 Malone vs. No. 2 Ohio Dominican
The Pioneers and Panthers are tangling for the second time in a week after Ohio Dominican won the first meeting, 1-0, in each team’s regular season finale. ODU’s defense is as tough as it gets, giving up just two goals all spring and keeper Jadelyn McNerney recording six shutouts in nine games. Malone’s Madeline Ault put together a strong spring while tying for the league lead in points (12) with Findlay’s Olivia Frank. ODU’s Callan Myers is tied for second in the league with 11 points and was tied for the league lead in goals (5) while recording a pair of game-winning shots. The Pioneers are looking to halt a three-game slide in the quarterfinals while the Panthers are looking to make it three consecutive wins in order to move on.