In what was a defensive battle that went scoreless through 110 minutes, coach Nicole Van Dyke and the Washington Huskies women’s soccer team prevailed in a penalty shootout 3-1, knocking out No. 25 Utah State on the road in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
The Huskies didn’t have many opportunities to score in the first-round match, finishing regulation time with no shots on the goal. A quick kick from midfielder Kelsey Branson and a shot faded wide of the post off a header from forward Kalea Eichenberger were as close as they got the entire first half.
The second half of the match was a defensive battle, with goalkeeper Olivia Juarez clearing the ball at the end of regulation to send the game into overtime. Then, with less than a minute remaining in the first overtime period, Juarez, who was stellar and finished her day with 7 saves, collided with an Aggie player and had to be helped off the field.
Junior Mia Hamant replaced her in the net and is in the midst of a breakout year, ranking No. 3 in the Big Ten conference with a .688 goals allowed per game average.
Ioanna Poapatheodorou, Jadyn Holdenried, and Alex Buck all found the back of the net during the penalty shootout, with only Alysia Butters converting for the Aggies.
Washington will face off the winner of Southern University vs. No. 1 seed Mississippi State, which is scheduled for Nov. 16, on Nov. 22, with the time and location to be announced.