Ashland, Ohio — The Ashland University women’s soccer team fell just short in the Round of 32 in a nail-biting 1-0 finish.
 
The Eagles hosted the Drury Panthers from Ferguson Field on the campus of Ashland University for the semifinal round of the NCAA Midwest Regional Tournament. Both teams battled intensely through 90 minutes of action.
 
Through the first  45 minutes, there were just four total shots, all of which ended on goal. However, none were true threats to either team’s goalkeepers. The Eagles and Panthers had most of the action occur in the midfield in the first half.
 
Heading into the halftime break, both teams were still looking to open up the scoreboard in the second stanza.
 
Coming quickly out of the break, in the 47th minute, Drury buried their first goal of the game. It came off a cross towards the back post that was headed over the top of goalkeeper Maddie Dolenga’s head. The ball hit the post and bounced past the goal line, with the line judge immediately ruling it a goal.
 
The Eagles attempted to work their way back into the game, but the stifling defense of Drury proved to be too tough to get past. They recorded seven total shots and three corner kicks, with each opportunity coming just short.
 
At the end of 90 minutes, Ashland finished by outshooting Drury, 11-5, and found six more corner kicks than the Panthers. However, it was the one goal scored by the away side that sealed the deal for a 1-0 win. 
 
The Panthers now look to the Round of 16, where they will take on Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) opponent, Grand Valley State. The Lakers entered the tournament as the No. 3 seed.