November 9, 2012
For Immediate Release
Box score
Grand Rapids, Mich. – The 2nd-seeded Indiana Tech women’s soccer team came up just short of claiming the Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference Tournament championship, falling to the top-seeded Panthers of Davenport University in a penalty kick shootout on Friday night at the DU Turf Field.
Tech overcame a 3-2 deficit in the final minutes of regulation to force overtime, but after two scoreless overtime periods, the teams went to a shootout where Davenport prevailed 3-1.
The Panthers (17-2-1, 8-0 WHAC) also receive the WHAC’s automatic bid to the 2012 NAIA Women’s Soccer National Championship with the win.
The Warriors had a chance to draw first blood with a penalty kick in the 34th minute. However, the WHAC Offensive Player of the Year Tori Singstock’s (Southgate, MI/Southgate Anderson) shot was denied by the Defensive Player of the Year Michelle Marcus to keep the match at 0-0.
Singstock would capitalize though on her next opportunity just a few minutes later when she blasted a free kick past the DU keeper from 20 yards out to put the Warriors on top.
Tech would take their 1-0 lead into halftime.
The Warriors padded their lead early in the second half when freshman Megan Perrey (Avon, IN/Avon) scored her 17th goal of the season in the 49th minute.
It looked like the Warriors were well on their way to capturing the title and punching their ticket to the national tournament as the Tech defense and goalkeeper Jordan Roell (Guilford, IN/East Central) were playing great and had kept 22nd ranked Davenport off the board.
But the momentum swung in favor of the Panthers in the 68th minute when they were awarded a penalty kick and cut the deficit to just one.
Three minutes later, Paige Eli tallied her second goal of the night to tie the game, and in the 80th minute DU would take a 3-2 lead after Lizzie Paul headed in a corner kick.
With their season on the line, the Warriors refused to give up and in the 86th minute Singstock buried a free kick into the back of the net from just outside the box to send the game into overtime.
Following two overtime periods, the WHAC championship would be decided in a shootout.
Davenport converted its first three shots while Tech missed its first two, one hitting the crossbar and another saved. Singstock made the third kick and Roell made a great save on DU’s next attempt to keep the Warriors alive, but the next shot for the Warriors would bang off the post, giving Davenport the win.
Roell finished the match with nine saves while Singstock scored her 22nd and 23rd goals of the season.
The Panthers held a 29-14 edge in shots and had eight corner kicks compared to Tech’s five.
Indiana Tech finishes one of the best seasons in program history with an overall record of 16-4-1 and a second place finish in the conference.
For more information on Indiana Tech athletics please call the Athletic Office at 260-422-5561 ext. 2492 or visit our website at http://www.indianatech.edu/athletics
