by Matt Koll
The Westminster Titans are the No. 1 seed in the 2024 PAC women’s soccer tournament. (Photo courtesy Westminster College Athletics).
Another exciting season of PAC women’s soccer has almost reached its apex. Only four teams have kept their title hopes alive, leaving the top four seeds as survivors to battle it out. Let’s look at the field and the matchups.
THE MATCH:
#4 SAINT VINCENT @ #1 WESTMINSTER
EARLIER THIS SEASON…
It was the closest the Titans came to losing a PAC match, as Saint Vincent held a 1-0 lead into the second half after Tanisha Grewal’s penalty kick goal in the 43rd minute. But Lydia Ohm scored in the 67th minute to tie it and Gabby Hunter delivered the finishing blow in the 87th minute to give Westminster the 2-1 victory at home.
KEY PLAYERS:
- Tanisha Grewal (SVC)- 3rd in PAC in goals scored with 17
- Brooke Horvath (WES)- 5th in PAC in goals and shots
- Rilyn Warner (SVC)- 2nd in PAC in saves and 1st in PAC with 7 shutouts
- Lydia Ohm (WES)- 3rd in PAC with 4 game-winning goals
THE BREAKDOWN:
This match may have the biggest seeding differential, but the margin between the two seems to be razor-thin, just like when they first met this season, as highlighted above. It’s actually Saint Vincent that boasts the better scoring average per game and scoring margin heading into the matchup. Westminster comes in with the better save percentage and, having played a cleaner style, committing 33 fewer fouls than the Bearcats.
Saint Vincent head coach Bryan Butler has seen his team and his program come a long way to get to this point. “This team has improved significantly in our identity. Three years ago, this team was a bottom-of-the-conference, easy win for every team. We have been able to change our identity and implement our standard to this program, which in turn has brought the initial success. The culture of this team is growing every day and that’s a big reason for the success we are having. We have a confident group that is ready to work at every moment.”
Tanisha Grewal has led the way offensively, serving as the lone Bearcat to appear in the PAC top 10 in goals (3rd), shots on goal (3rd), game-winning goals (2nd) and points (3rd). Rilyn Warner has also put together a fantastic season as this team’s goalkeeper, ranking 3rd in goals against average, 2nd in saves and leading the conference with seven shutouts.
Saint Vincent beat #5 Bethany 2-1 in the quarterfinals, a match in which Butler called his team “relentless” and said they dictated the game and set the tempo early. They’ll need some of that against Westminster.
For the Titans, it was an unblemished conference record in the regular season. But head coach Girish Thakar said his team wasn’t “dominant” in the conference, but rather, probably the team that was the most consistent.
It certainly seems like they’re playing their best soccer of the season, finishing the regular season on a 5-game winning streak in which they outscored their opponents 19-3. Brooke Horvath is solidly in the PAC Top 10 in almost every offensive category, while Lydia Ohm has shown a knack for coming through in the clutch, racking up four game-winning goals.
“Brooke is not one of our captains but brings a different type of leadership. She loves and breathes soccer and is the glue to our team. She is a team-first player and someone every coach would want to have,” said Thakar.
Thakar believes Westminster’s work ethic has to be “super high.” They’ll have to stay healthy and make sure they’re playing at a high level offensively in order to cash in their top seed for a conference championship.
THE MATCH:
#3 ALLEGHENY @ #2 GROVE CITY
EARLIER THIS SEASON…
Emma Herrmann scored the first two goals of the game in the first half as Grove City went up 4-0 after the first 57 minutes of play. But Allegheny didn’t roll over and made it interesting down the stretch. The Gators scored three goals in nine minutes late in the game but the Wolverines prevailed 5-3 for the road victory.
KEY PLAYERS:
- Emma Miller (ALL)- 1st in PAC in goals and points
- Emma Herrmann (GRO)- 2nd in PAC in goals and points
- Katherine Surdykowsk (ALL)- Tied for 7th in PAC in goals, 2nd in assists & 6th in points
- Natalie Merrick (GRO)- Tied for 5th in PAC with three game-winning goals
THE BREAKDOWN:
If you want to see some of the best offensive talent the PAC has to offer, “The Emma Show” match is for you.
Emma Miller is one of the top offensive players in the PAC. (Photo courtesy of Allegheny College Athletics).
Let’s start with Allegheny’s Emma Miller, the conference’s most prolific scorer. Her 64 points are 23 more than the next best player in the PAC (Herrmann). She’s the only player with double-digit assists (12). Her 26 goals are eight more than anyone else’s, and she’s racked up a ridiculous 76 shots on goal, 19 more than anyone else.
A prolific scorer will oftentimes lead to a prolific offense, and Miller helped the Gators score 60 goals this season which just so happens to be the exact same number that Grove City scored this year as well. “Scoring 60 goals in a season is no easy task, so I’m really proud of how productive we’ve been on offense and equally as proud of our defense for their grit and resilience in our backline,” said head coach Lacey Phillips. “The team’s chemistry, resilience, shared focus on our common goal, and overall mentality is better than I’ve ever experienced, and I’m looking forward to continuing to watch those combined factors play out on the field.”
Then, there’s Emma Herrmann. As mentioned above, Herrmann terrorized Allegheny in the first matchup this season, scoring twice and then assisting on Natalie Merrick’s goal within the first 47 minutes of the game. Herrmann amassed 18 goals on the season, good for 2nd in the conference, while accumulating 41 points, also good for 2nd in the conference (both behind Miller).
Grove City head coach Melissa Lamie recognizes that her impact is felt beyond the scoreboard. “Emma has brought a whole new level of commitment to our program over the past two seasons since she herself is so committed to the game of soccer,” said Lamie. “She brings a new level of training habits, lifestyle commitments, and mentality to the team and others in the program are growing in their own habits because they see her doing it. She is very talented, one of the best scorers we’ve ever had, and one of the best students of the game. She is so good because she is dedicated to being the best she can be.”
Beyond the individual talents, both of these teams are rolling heading into this match. Allegheny has had a magical season for its program and is playing at its best at the right time. All things that are certainly not lost on Phillips. “This team has undeniably strong momentum right now. Having won five games in a row while playing a pretty consistent brand of soccer, we are really confident in our ability and potential to continue to extend our season.”
“We have already broken existing program records and also set new ones, so that stat coupled with the team having a winning season and making playoffs for the first time in a decade has propelled our motivation to continue making history. I can confidently say that there is a shared mentality among our entire team that we are not done yet and we will continue to prove that through our on-field product and eagerness to keep earning wins.”
For Grove City, they are the defending champions. And they’ve got real (and realistic) aspirations to defend that title and win the league again. “Winning the PAC championship is our goal every season and we know that is the only way to get into the NCAA tournament,” said Lamie. “We have goals there as well so this week is pretty critical for us reaching many of our overall goals for the season.
“We will never define our entire season based on only this one week, however. There is so much that goes into a 17-game season and we are proud of what we have already accomplished this fall.”
It should be a wild ride full of plenty of excitement to see who gets to play for the crown.
