CHAMP CENTRAL
STORRS, Conn. – After 110 minutes of play, it would take a round of penalty kicks for a team to find the back of the net as USF advanced, 4-3, on penalty kicks past Cincinnati. Leticia Skeete netted the goal to advance the Bulls past the Bearcats
It was a back-and-fourth affair as both teams created shot attempts. Cincinnati out shot USF 6-4 in the first half but the Bulls led the shot count 8-7 in the second. USF’s Evelyne Viens led all players with four shots in regulation. In the second overtime, Cincinnati had two good looks in the 105
th and 106
th minutes as Cassie Wheldon had her shot blocked to the feet of Jordan Cotleur, who took a shot that landed wide.
After 110 minutes of play, the match moved to a shootout. USF made a change in goal subbing out Kat Elliott, who made six saves in her 110 minutes of play, for junior keeper Haley Johnson. Johnson made two saves on three attempts to open the shootout. Goals by Grace Adams, Trudi Carter and Andrea Hauksdottir gave the Bulls the 3-1 lead in the shootout. After Vien’s attempt went high, Cincinnati keeper Natalie Smith made a save off USF’s fifth attempt while the Bearcat’s Cotleur and Taylor Pavlika converted their attempts to tie the shootout 3-3.
With goals by both teams in the next round, the shootout would move to a sixth round. Tiffany Huber’s attempt for Cincinnati went wide. Skeete’s attempt was slowed by Smith, but bounced off the goalpost and into the goal to give USF the 4-3 edge.
USF advances to face No. 1 UConn in the semifinals on Friday at 7 p.m. ET. All semifinal matches will air on the American Digital Network. For information about all the tournament games, check out Champ Central at theamerican.com/wsoccer.