PITTSBURGH, Pa.—Swarthmore College Women's Soccer (13-5) moved on to the second round of the NCAA Tournament following a 1-0 overtime win over the No. 15 Arcadia University Knights (15-4-3) on Saturday evening.
Swarthmore scored the golden goal in the 97th minute after earning a penalty kick. Senior forward Maddy Carens buried the game-winner, firing off a shot right down the middle as the Arcadia goalkeeper dove to her left. The shot transpired after junior Sophia Stills broke for the left of the box and had her heels clipped from behind by an Arcadia defender. The game-winner is Carens' second of the year and third goal overall.
Swarthmore has only attempted one other penalty kick this season and Carens is the first to sink one this year.
Carens and Stills led Swarthmore with four shots and three shots apiece, respectively. Stills had an opportunity in the 91st minute but had her shot saved.
Neither team had many chances through the first period. Swarthmore took four shots to Arcadia's three, despite out-cornering Arcadia 6-0 in the first. The Garnet however took more chances in the second half and racked up eight attempts. Both teams took two shots in overtime, but Swarthmore took the one that counted.
Goalkeeper Chantal Reyes was steady throughout, saving three Arcadia shots on goal in 96:02 of action. Reyes lowered her goals against average to 0.73 with the shutout, her seventh of the season.
Swarthmore, after knocking off the 15th-ranked team in the nation, has the task of taking on the 25th-ranked Carnegie Mellon University Tartans on their own turf on Sunday at 7 p.m. for the second round of the NCAA Tournament. The Garnet have now won at least one NCAA Tournament game in each of the past five seasons.
