Flyers Capture Atlantic 10 Tournament Title in Penalty Shootout
(Photo via Carson Caprella)
Gabriel Ward | Sports Editor
DAYTON, Ohio – The University of Dayton women’s soccer team claimed its 11th Atlantic 10 tournament title and first since 2016 on Sunday, beating the Rhode Island Rams 5-4 on penalties after scoreless regulation and overtime periods.
Chances in the match were at a premium, as UD was only able to force two first-half saves by Rhode Island goalkeeper Dani Eden. On the other end, the Flyers’ defense was able to help out their goalkeeper, Batoul Reda, as she was not forced to make a single save the entire first half.
In the 14th minute, Dayton’s Laney Smith forced a turnover and brought the ball into the box, where she and Rhode Island’s Courtney Poon collided. The referee immediately ruled it a clean play. However, the official would be called over to the sideline for a video review. After the second look, the call on the field was upheld, and play continued.
There would be very little action for the remainder of the half as the teams went into the locker room all tied up at zero.
The second half was more of the same as both teams’ defenses continued to control the game. Reda would not be forced to make her first save of the match until the 79th minute, when the Rams’ Lauren MacDonald took a shot from just inside the box, but the shot was right at Reda, and she made the easy save to keep the match tied.
After regulation, the match was still tied at zero, forcing overtime to be played. In college soccer, overtime consists of two ten-minute periods with the “Golden Goal” rule, meaning that the next goal would be the winner, regardless of how much time was left on the clock.
Despite the match being next goal wins, there was still very little offensive pressure, as both goalkeepers were only forced to make one save in overtime. Reda in the 92nd minute and Eden with a diving stop on Kyra Karfonta’s shot in the 108th to keep the game going.
The overtime periods would come to an end with no goal scorers, meaning the Atlantic 10 title and the conference’s automatic bid in the NCAA Tournament were to be decided on penalty kicks.
The shootout would enter the fifth frame all tied up at three goals apiece after MacDonald missed the frame on her attempt, and Eden saved Emery Aschenbrener’s attempt.
The fifth frame was full of drama, as after Rhode Island’s Mie Carstensen converted her attempt, it all came down to Smith for UD. Eden looked to have saved her attempt and won Rhode Island the title, but the assistant referee deemed that she left her goal line prior to Smith striking the ball, allowing for a second attempt. Smith would make the most of the redemption as she buried her shot to keep the shootout alive and move it to sudden-death frames.
In the sixth frame, Cierra Penny’s attempt for Rhode Island hit the crossbar and went over the goal, meaning that Riley Kerber would have a chance to win the title for UD. Kerber would calmly slot the attempt home and win the Atlantic 10 tournament title for UD, locking up their spot in the NCAA Tournament.
Liv Grenda, Karfonta, Kerber and Reda were all named to the All-Championship team, with Reda also being named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player.
The Flyers will learn who their first opponent of the NCAA Tournament is during the selection show, which airs Monday, Nov. 10, beginning at 4 p.m. and can be streamed on NCAA.com.