by Matt Koll
And then there were four.
The PAC women’s soccer tournament is down to the semifinal round. There’s a two-time defending champion, a program that’s gone to the finals in two of the past four years, a winner of nine-straight games and a program in only its second PAC Tournament appearance.
It all sets up for what should be a thrilling end to the bracket to determine this year’s champion. Both games of the semifinal round will take place on Wednesday. Let’s check out the field.
#1 WESTMINSTER (13-3-1, 9-1 PAC)
Westminster has been led by a stifling defense that allowed an average of .53 goals per game this season, the only team in the conference to less than a goal per game.
The Titans ended the regular season with five-straight wins. In Westminster-fashion, all five of those wins were clean sheets. Their last loss came against the #2 seed Franciscan, which could make for an interesting rematch in the final if both teams win in the semifinals. Head coach Girish Thakar doesn’t mind who they play in the Final, just as long as they get there.
“We were playing well prior to the match vs Franciscan but that loss probably woke the team up to make sure we start strong from the first minute of the match,” said Thakar.
Franciscan was also the only team to score more than one goal in a game against Westminster this season, in conference or out of conference.
Julia Redilla paces them offensively, ranking top 5 in the conference in goals, shots on goal, game-winning goals and points. Goalkeeper Morgan Murphy is tops in the PAC in goals against average, saves, and shutouts.
It will take quite the performance to penetrate this Titans team and end up on the right side of the scoreboard.
Next game: Wednesday vs. #4 Chatham at 7 pm
#2 FRANCISCAN (11-4-2, 7-1-2 PAC)
The Barons put together a spectacular season, one step behind top-seeded Westminster despite being the only conference team to hand them a loss this season. They’ve also got a 6-1 win over #3 seed Grove City on their resume, so clearly they can beat the best of the best.
“All season we have been talking about “response”, how we respond to the adversity we face in each game, personally as players and as a team, is vital to our success,” said head coach Sarah Salamida.
Salamida says the Barons will be relying on the leadership of their veterans and the tenacity of their first years to continue their success into the postseason.
Franciscan’s offense is led by a couple of playmakers in Tania Davidson and Juliana Rubino. Davidson ranks first in the PAC in shots and shots on goal and second in goals and points. Rubino is second in shots, third in goals and third in points.
Franciscan has scored fewer than two goals in a game only once in PAC play this season, which came in a 0-0 tie to Chatham.
The Barons have the offensive firepower to make them a real threat to win it all.
Next game: Wednesday vs. #3 Grove City at 4:30 pm
#3 GROVE CITY (11-6-1, 7-2-1 PAC)
The Wolverines are red hot.
They finished off the regular season on an 8-game winning streak and rode that momentum to the tune of a 2-0 shutout win over Washington & Jefferson in the quarterfinal round of the tournament. It was game that saw Grove City dominate in opportunities, owning an 18-3 edge in shots (8-1 on goal).
During their current 9-game winning streak, Grove City has averaged 3.5 goals per game, while allowing more than one goal only once. Their 4th-ranked offense is led by Britta Lagerquist whose name shows up in the top 6 in the conference in goals, assists and points. Lagerquist scored Grove City’s second goal in their win over W&J as well.
Make no doubt it, they’ve got the distinct advantage of playing their best soccer at the most important time of the year, something that has served many teams well in postseason’s past.
Next game: Wednesday @ #2 Franciscan at 4:30 pm
#4 CHATHAM (11-3-3, 6-1-3 PAC)
This Cougars team packs a major punch.
They’re also playing well right now, winners of their past 4 games including an impressive 4-0 win over #5 seed Bethany in the quarterfinals. Maggie Toomey scored the first goal in the 8th minute and they never looked back.
This is the PAC’s best offense. The only one that averaged over 3 goals per game this season. It’s led by Morgan Anderson, who is the conference’s top goal scorer and point scorer. It’s also resulted in the 2nd-best margin of victory behind top-seeded Westminster.
All this to say, this semifinal matchup between this team and the Titans will be the unstoppable force (Chatham) against the immovable object (Westminster and their suffocating defense).
It’s also worth noting that Chatham brings something unique to the table: pedigree. They’ve won two-straight conference tournament titles so head coach Betsy Warren knows what it takes to win when it matters most.
Next game: Wednesday @ #1 Westminster at 7 pm
