BOCA RATON, Fla. – The No. 3-seeded Middle Tennessee Soccer team (9-7-2) punched its ticket to the C-USA Championship semifinals on Wednesday in a penalty kick shootout over No. 2-seeded Rice (10-5-3) on Wednesday afternoon at FAU Soccer Stadium.
"Going into overtime in the Florida heat is not really something we wanted to do, but credit to our players, they stuck with it, they stuck with their task, and we were able to win it in PKs," said head coach
Aston Rhoden.
Following a scoreless game after two sudden death overtime periods, the Blue Raiders advanced via a 4-3 score in penalties. The win marks the Blue Raiders first postseason win since 2015, when the Blue Raiders defeated Rice in the C-USA first round 1-0. It's also the program's first penalty-kick victory since the Blue Raiders won the 2010 Sun Belt Championship against No. 15 Denver, 3-2 in PKs.
"It was stressful, but I just knew I had to make it for my team," expressed freshman
Alayna Lynchard. "They moved Sascha up to the midfield, and so I had to step up and play that center back role with Caroline. We fought all the way to double overtime and got to PKs. I was the sixth one to go and we just had to make [our kicks] to advance to the next round. I walked up and knew I needed to make the kick for my team, and that's what I did."
Middle Tennessee battled to a scoreless half, but the Blue Raiders created more opportunities and controlled much of the opening 45 minutes, leading the Owls in shots 7-4, but Rice held a slight advantage for shots on goal, 4-3.
Caroline Manley accounted for two of the Blue Raiders' shots on goal in the opening half, and
Miya Lennon registered the third.
The Blue Raiders continued to pressure the Rice backline, outshooting the Owls 5-4 over the final 45 minutes of regulation. The Blue Raiders doubled up the Owls for on-target shots in the second half, 4-2. Junior Cambell Kivisito and Elizabeth Slavinksy tallied the Blue Raiders first two on-target attempts, while sophomore
Taylor Hamlett and senior
Peyton DePriest followed up with back-to-back opportunities in the 78
th minute, but Killgore saved them both. Suder saved one final Owl attempt in the 84
th minute before the game would be sent into overtime.
Rice attempted two shots to the Blue Raiders one over the first overtime period, however both sides registered one shot on goal, but neither would fall as things remained scoreless through the 100
th minute. Both sides registered a shot in the second overtime period, however only the Blue Raiders put one on goal as freshman
Sascha Nielsen sent one to the net, but Killgore would deny once again.
In the penalty shootout, Rice netted its first penalty kick to take the 1-0 lead. The Blue Raiders missed their first two, but Rice also sent its second penalty wide right to keep the deficit at one, 1-0. Rice netted its third penalty kick to lead 2-0, before junior
Elizabeth Slavinsky converted her penalty to bring the Blue Raiders back within one, 2-1. Rice tallied another penalty to make it 3-1 Rice, however freshman
Kirstine Lykke came in clutch, tricking Bella Killgore to place her shot in the bottom right of the net and bring the Blue Raiders back within one, 3-2. On the Owls fifth penalty, freshman
Talia Nowlan came up with a huge save to keep the Blue Raiders within one, 3-2. Suder was the fifth in line for the Blue Raiders, sending the ball into the upper right of the net and over Killgore to even the kicks a 3-3. Nowlan made another incredible diving save on the Owls sixth penalty shot to deny the kick and give the Blue Raiders the opportunity to win it. Freshman
Alayna Lynchard came on to kick the sixth shot for the Blue Raiders, burying her shot into the top right of the net close the match and advance the Blue Raiders to the C-USA semifinals.
Up Next
The Blue Raiders will play Old Dominion in the C-USA Semifinals on Friday, November 7 for a 3:30 p.m. CT kickoff at FAU Soccer Stadium. The match will also be broadcast on ESPN+.
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