Capital Women's Soccer Wins OAC Tournament
-provided by Capital Sports Information
Crusaders Clinch NCAA Berth With OAC Tournament Championship
COLUMBUS – Bernlohr Stadium been the site of a number of fine moments for the Capital University women's soccer team in 2011, but none as fine as the utopia experienced Sunday.
The Crusaders (12-7-2 overall) wrapped up the Ohio Athletic Conference Tournament title and punched their ticket to the NCAA Division III Tournament with a 4-2 victory over John Carroll.
Capital will learn its first-round opponent and destination tomorrow at 1:30 p.m. in a selection show webcast on ncaa.com.
"Our players had high expectations for themselves, and when we started off 1-5, that really took a toll on the psyche of some of our players," first-year Capital coach Chris Kouns said. "But to their credit, they really did a great job bouncing back and becoming focused on what they wanted, which was to be the best. I could not be more proud of a group of kids, and it's so well deserved."
Senior Tara Zimmer (Vandalia, Ohio) set the table with three assists for Capital, which was outshot 24-16 by the Blue Streaks (14-8) but took advantage of scoring opportunities early both in the first half and the second.
Four different players found the back of the net for the Crusaders, who are 7-0-2 in home matches this season and have a possibility of hosting the first and second rounds in the NCAA Tournament.
Sophomore Lauren Roy put Capital on the board in the ninth minute, taking a deflection off Zimmer's corner kick inches in front of the goal line and putting it past the keeper.
Just four minutes later, Zimmer found fellow senior Natalie Fiorelli (Pickerington, Ohio) from the left side wide open in the middle of the box. Fiorelli turned past a defender and finished into the right side for her eighth goal of the year to put the Crusaders ahead 2-0.
Over the final 20 minutes of the half, John Carroll put a major offensive push on sophomore goalkeeper Maggie Donnellan (Cincinnati, Ohio) and the rest of the Capital defense. The Blue Streaks took advantage of one of their handful of opportunities, halving their deficit in the 31st.
Freshman Delaney Thompson (Columbus, Ohio) tallied her third game-winning goal of the season in the 54th minute to put the Crusaders up 3-1. The team added an insurance score in the 58th when sophomore Hilary Ells (Grandview Heights, Ohio) posted her team-leading 10th goal of the year.
The Blue Streaks would add one more late in the contest, but Donnellan and the defense withstood the JCU attack to send the sideline into bedlam as time expired.
The OAC Tournament title is Capital's first since 2007 and the first for this year's seven-player senior class, which has seen three different head coaches in four years.
"The biggest thing that I've said through the season is that you have to give these kids a tremendous amount of credit, not just for their work rate, but for the fact that they overcame so many difficulties, whether it's injured players or coaching changes or raised expectations," Kouns said.