The women’s soccer team is headed to the Horizon League Championship after defeating host and #1 seeded Milwaukee in a 4-3 penalty-kick victory on Thursday, Nov. 6.
Maria Stephans put the Panthers up 1-0 after scoring her fourth goal of the season at the 26:16 mark.
Milwaukee maintained a 1-0 advantage for the next 56 minutes until senior forward Natalie Sedlock tied the score with her team-high seventh goal of the season and 13th for her career. Sedlock has scored four goals in the last four games and is now in a five-way tie for second in the league lead in goals trailing Milwaukee’s, Anna Smalley by one.
After regulation ended the teams competed in two scoreless overtime periods before penalty kicks would decide the winner.
Both teams converted on their first two kicks. Sophomore mid-fielders Bryce Hueber and Niki Romero who both earned First Team All-Horizon League honors earlier in the week converted for WSU.
Milwaukee missed their next attempt, as did the Raiders.
Milwaukee missed again in the fourth round and senior mid-fielder MacKenzie Hamilton stepped up for the Raiders next attempt.
Hamilton scored two goals in the quarter finals round against Valparaiso and continued to come up clutch as she made the shot in the upper left corner of the goal to send WSU to the finals.
Senior goal keeper Halle Pyle grabbed five saves in the semi-finals matchup bringing her season total to 71; ranked fifth in the conference.
The Raiders (9-7-2; Horizon 5-3-1) are making their first finals appearance since 2012 and will attempt to bring home the Horizon League Championship on Saturday, Nov. 7 against Oakland (7-5-7, 6-1-3).
The Golden Grizzlies got ahead 1-0 just 3:19 into the game in their last matchup on Oct. 10 in which the Raiders could not find the net.
After the loss, WSU lost to Northern Kentucky for back to back losses before turning things around with a four game winning streak to close out the regular season.
The Horizon League Championship will be available on ESPN3 with kick-off at 7 p.m.
