Women’s Soccer Advances to NAIA Final Site with Dramatic Win in Lakeland
LAKELAND, Fla. - The Bethel Lady Wildcats advanced to the NAIA National Championship Final Site with a 5-4 penalty kick shootout victory at Southeastern Saturday in Lakeland, Florida. Regulation ended in a 3-3 draw.
The Lady Cats overcame adversity and found a way to keep their season alive.
Bethel (11-3-3) advanced to the Round of 16 in Foley, Ala. and will play Spring Arbor on November 28th.
The Cats led 1-nil at the break after a Natasha Dudley goal with 13 seconds left in the half. It was one of only two shots Bethel had in the first 45 minutes.
In the 55th minute, Bethel took a 2-0 lead after a goal by Kelly Nunes on a corner kick by Kalina Stanisic.
The Fire (11-5-3) got on the board in the 70th minute of the game to cut the Lady Cat margin to 2-1.
Less than a minute later, the Fire tied the match on a penalty kick. Regulation ended in the 3-3- draw.
During the first 10-minute overtime session, the Wildcats took a 3-2 lead on Audrey LaRue's goal. It was her team leading 11th goal of the season.
The Fire tied the game with a second overtime score.
Dudley took over in goal due to an injury suffered by Keeper Alicia Perez with 13 minutes remaining in regulation and made a save for Bethel in the fifth round of the shootout to win it.
Carla Cebollada and Ainhoa Chirivella had the two other assists.
Southeastern had a 16-7 edge in shots but the Cats found a way to win after Dudley's dramatic save.
Johanna Veldhuizen, LaRue, Sterre Van Bloemendaal, Chirivella and Elle Carson were all successful with their penalty kicks.
Coach Misty Aird commented on the great win. "We are so proud of these ladies today. We found a way to advance and survive after we lost Alicia. WE made plays and stepped up big against a very good Southeastern team."
The final site takes place at the Foley Sports Tourism Championship Stadium from November 27 – December 4, 2023, hosted by Gulf Shores/Orange Beach Sports & Events.
The NAIA Network – the association's official video streaming home – will broadcast 14 matches live at the NAIA Women's Soccer National Championship final site in Foley, Ala., and the championship match will be on ESPN3. The NAIA Network, powered by PrestoSports, allows users access to live video, statistics, and social interaction on a number of devices, including mobile. Single-day passes can be purchased for $9.95, while an all-championship tournament package is available at $34.95. For more information and to pre-register, click HERE.