Updated Horizon League Women's Soccer Tournament Bracket
In one instance, the match was decided with just second remaining on the clock. In the other, there was not enough time to decide the result and penalty kicks were needed. When the dust cleared, No. 5 Wright State and sixth-seeded Butler had advanced to the semifinals of the Horizon League Women's Soccer Tournament.
Butler rallied from a two-goal deficit at No. 3 Valparaiso to knot the match at 2 late in the first half, and after a scoreless second half, the match would go through two more scoreless overtimes before moving to penalty kicks. Twice in the penalty kick phase, the Crusaders had two chances to seal the result. After four rounds, the PKs were 3-3 when BU missed. A Valpo score would've clinched it, but Butler keeper Julie Burton denied the shooter to keep the Bulldogs alive.
Tied at 4-4 in PKs, Kelsey Draper narrowly missed wide, giving Butler a second reprieve. In the next round, Rachel Melendez drilled her PK to put Butler up 5-4, and when Tracy Roos hit the post on her attempt, the Bulldogs were through to the semifinals.
Next up for the Bulldogs is top-seeded Milwaukee, who knocked off Butler, 4-1, earlier in the season.
At Krenzler Field, No. 4 Cleveland State and No. 5 Wright State played to a scoreless draw in the first half, but the goose eggs were broken early in the second half, when Adrianna Guerrero found Bonny streaking down the middle of the field. Guerrero's pass allowed Bonny into a 1-v-1 battle with the Vikings' Becky Williams, and Bonny converted to put the Raiders ahead, 1-0.
Over the next 40 minutes, the Wright State defense clamped down, preventing Cleveland State from gaining the run of play. However, as time ticked off the clock, the Vikings had one final push, nearly forcing overtime. Natalie Daniels, the Vikings all-time leading scorer, became free at the top of the box, and with Wright State keeper Brooke McCurdy rushing out from her goal, Daniels had an open shot on frame.
Daniels' shot trickled towards the goal, where it struck the outside of the post with 20 ticks left on the clock. The Raiders cleared the ball, and with it, eliminated the Vikings from the League Tournament.
Wright State will meet No. 2 Detroit in Friday's first semifinal; the Raiders knocked off the Titans, 1-0, on Oct. 19.
