Women’s soccer took on California (Pa.) in the Division II Tournament on Sunday at 12 p.m.
West Chester faced California (Pa.) once earlier in the season, towards the end actually. And they played them to a double overtime tie. This was West Chester’s only tie of the season.
West Chester is coming off a tough PSAC semi-final loss to Kutztown University, which is who California (Pa.) beat in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
This game was a lot of the same. California (Pa.) jumped out to a 1-0 lead on a break away goal by Janelle McCann, which West Chester goalkeeper, Alex Srolis,could not save. This goal came in the 28th minute. But it did not get West Chester discouraged.
West Chester came right back, just six minutes later, and answered back with a game-tying goal in the 34th minute. The goal was scored by senior Cara Deola. Deola was able to put it in because of the hard work by Marissa Valenti, who fired a shot that was saved by California’s goalkeeper Meghan Jayes. However, she could not keep the ball corralled, and Deola was there for the putback rebound. West Chester and California would go into the half knotted at one goal apiece.
Three minutes into the second half, West Chester fired right back as Deola sent a pass to Golden Rams’ leading scorer Kara Parvel. Parvel was able to knock it in past the goalkeeper in the upper part of the net. This gave West Chester a 2-1 lead with 40 minutes to play. This was a lead that the West Chester defense has held numerous times throughout the season. This is why West Chester is as good as they are, because they can hold a lead.
But California is a very good team and they would not go away. They had seven shots on goal in the second half, and Srolis was able to save six of them. The one she couldn’t save was a foul comitted inside the box on West Chester. The foul gave California a penalty shot in the 87th minute to try and tie the game. Chelsea Crockett was the player taking it for the Vulcans. And she was able to put it past Srolis to tie the game at two.
The goal sent the game into overtime, where both defenses showed up, not wanting to give up the season-ending goal. And after 20 minutes of overtime play, and two overtime periods later, this Division II National Tournament game was headed for penalty kicks.
Both teams converted on the first two penalty kicks, and Carly Yost sank her penatly, to give West Chester a 3-2 lead. Crockett, who already converted on a penalty earlier in the game, failed to convert this time around. Next up for the Golden Rams was Katie Huber who scored the deciding PK, after another miss by California. West Chester survives, and will move on to face West Virginia Wesleyan, who upset No.1 seed East Stroudsburg in penalty kicks.
Dylan Harrison is a third-year student majoring in communications with a minor in journalism. He can be reached at DH785892@wcupa.edu