By Justin Zackal
The Westminster College women’s soccer team hasn’t given up a goal in eight Presidents’ Athletic Conference games this season, but when the PAC Championship Tournament kicks off Tuesday night, the Titans will likely be thinking about the last goal they gave up to a PAC team.
That occurred in last year’s championship final when Westminster gave up a game-tying goal with 29 seconds left against Grove City before losing, 3-1, on penalty kicks. The Titans (12-5-2, 7-0-1 PAC) are still seeking their first PAC title since winning five in six years from 2002-07, while defending champion Grove City (10-6-2, 7-1 PAC) is looking to repeat after a breaking a 16-year title drought in 2018.
“(Our players) haven’t remembered us winning (the PAC) but what they should remember is what happened last year,” said Girish Thakar, Westminster’s 18th-year head coach. “Not only did we give up a goal late but we lost on a penalty-kick shootout. I hope that brings a little bit more hunger this year.”
Westminster is the top seed and its lone tie in PAC play was a scoreless draw at third-seeded Washington & Jefferson (6-8-3, 4-1-3 PAC) Oct. 5. The Titans won a rematch of last year’s finals at home against Grove City, 2-0, Oct. 16 The Titans play fourth-seeded Chatham (7-6-4, 4-2-2 PAC) in the semifinals, 7 p.m., Tuesday, at Harold Burry Stadium. Chatham is a team Westminster beat, 1-0, on the road Oct. 23, but anything can happen when teams play twice in one season, according to Thakar.
“Chatham will be a difficult team to play against because they are very athletic and you never know what’s going to happen,” Thakar said. “Playing a team a second time is not easy. We’re hoping we can bring it.”
Freshman midfielder Julia Redilla scored goals in each of the Titans’ games against Chatham and Grove City this year, but senior forward Kayla Trozzi is Westminster’s top scoring threat, tying Grove City junior midfielder Michaela Burke for the league lead with 13 goals apiece.
Grove City hosts W&J, 7 p.m., Tuesday, at Don Lyle Field in the other semifinal match. The Wolverines are fresh off a 2-1 win at W&J Saturday, with Burke scoring a tying goal in the 75th minute and assisting on Haley Weinert’s game-winning goal in the 87th minute.
W&J is seeking its first PAC titles since winning three titles from 2008-10 and Chatham is seeking its first-ever PAC crown.
Should Westminster and Grove City advance to Saturday’s final, which will be hosted by the top remaining seed at a time to be determined, the game will feature the same goalkeepers as last year’s PAC final. Junior Columbia Harkrader is back for Grove City and sophomore Camille Holzschuh returns for Westminster with championship game experience.
They both made five saves in last year’s final, but Harkrader stopped an additional three PKs in the shootout. Holzschuh made 15 saves to Harkrader’s five in this year’s regular-season meeting and Holzschuh holds the season statistical advantage in goals against average (0.84-1.34) and save percentage (.866-.818).
Saturday’s championship game will be streamed live online at pacstream.net. The winner of the game will receive the conference’s automatic qualifying bid to the NCAA Division III Championship, which begins Nov. 15.
