CEDARVILLE, Ohio — The Great Midwest Athletic Conference (G-MAC) Women's Soccer Championship match is officially set after two thrilling semifinal contests on Thursday at Yellow Jacket Field. Ashland University outlasted the University of Findlay in a penalty shootout following a scoreless double-overtime draw, while host Cedarville University edged past Thomas More 1-0 in a tense defensive battle. The Eagles and Yellow Jackets will now meet to decide the conference crown.
Ashland 0, Findlay 0 (Ashland advances 3-2 on penalties)
Ashland (13-3-3) punched their ticket to the finals with a nerve-wracking penalty shootout victory over Findlay (13-2-5).
Following 110 minutes of scoreless action, the Eagles triumphed 3-2 in PKs to end the Oilers' championship hopes. Throughout regulation and extra time, Ashland generated the lion's share of attacking opportunities, tallying 15 total shots to Findlay's 5, and dominating corner kicks by a wide 12-2 margin.
Despite the relentless pressure, Findlay goalkeeper Cat Graves played brilliantly, recording three saves over 110 minutes to keep the Eagles off the board. Ashland goalkeeper Izzy Ezzone was equally steady, making one save during open play to preserve her own shutout before the Eagles' shooters ultimately secured the win from the spot.
Cedarville 1, Thomas More 0
In the evening's nightcap, top-seeded Cedarville (14-1-4) broke a late deadlock to eliminate Thomas More (12-3-5).
The decisive moment came in the 79th minute (78:48) when forward Audrey Stanley collected a loose ball from eight yards out and buried it into the lower left corner. The Yellow Jackets' defense was impenetrable, suffocating the Saints' attack and limiting Thomas More to just two total shots—neither of which were on frame.
Cedarville controlled the tempo throughout the match, outshooting Thomas More 6-2 and holding a 5-3 advantage in corner kicks. Yellow Jackets goalkeeper Anna Taylor anchored the backline to secure the clean sheet without having to make a single save pushing Cedarville to extended their NCAA Division II record streak to 17 consecutive shutouts.
Up Next
With the semifinal victories, Ashland and Cedarville advance to the G-MAC Championship match. The title game is scheduled for this Saturday at 2 p.m., back at Yellow Jacket Field in Cedarville.