The Madison College women’s soccer team came up just short in its bid to reach the Region 4 Division II Tournament. A 2-1 loss to defending regional champion Rock Valley College eliminated the WolfPack from postseason play on Nov. 5.
Rock Valley College, ranked No. 13 in the final NJCAA Division II poll, scored first in the semifinal match with a goal at the seven-minute mark.
Madison College was unable to generate much offense in the first half, going the entire 45 minutes without a shot on goal.
But things changed early in the second half, when Madison College was awarded a free kick from just above the penalty arc.
After two of her teammates ran fake shot attempts past the ball, Yessenia Angeles bent a kick around the Rock Valley block and off the hands of the diving goalie. The deflected shot squeezed inside the right post, tying the match at 1-1at the 47-minute mark.
Madison College only managed one more shot after that as Rock Valley held the WolfPack at bay.
The Golden Eagles scored their winning goal at the 77 minute mark, when a corner kick slipped passed goalie Kaylen Welch. Welch had five saves in the match, keeping her team close throughout.
It was the second time the two teams met this year, with the first ending in a 1-1 tie in Madison on Sept. 18.
Madison College reached the semifinals thanks to a 1-0 victory over Waubonsee Community College in the quarterfinals on Nov. 2.
The match opened with Madison College being the aggressor on offense, posting four shots including two on goal in the first 18 minutes.
Not long after, Jerzey Ludwig scored the only goal of the match off a pass from Liz Pierson. Ludwig’s shot from the penalty arc lobbed over the goalkeeper and just under the crossbar. The goal came at the 24-minute mark and was Ludwig’s fourth of the year.
Welch helped preserve the victory with six saves in the match, including two in the final five minutes.
Madison College ended the season 12-3-1 overall. Suzy Hinds Cruz finished as the team’s scoring leader with 14 goals and five assists, while Grace Brown added 11 goals and four assists. Welch wrapped up the year with 41 saves in 12 matches while posting a goals against average of 0.67.