(Sugar Grove, IL) –Waubonsee Community College's women's soccer team earned a berth in the NJCAA National Tournament for the third time in school history and first time since 2014. The Chiefs pulled out a thrilling 3-2 win over the College of Lake County to capture the Region IV Division II Tournament title. Coach Brad Schlemmer's Chiefs will find out in the next few days where they are seeded for the 12-team, double elimination tournament set to begin on June 4 at Blanchard Woods Park in Evans, Georgia.

The 12^th ranked Chiefs move their overall record to 10-1-1 on the coronavirus abbreviated 2021 Spring season. The Lancers, ranked 10^th nationally in the last poll, finish 7-2 overall with both of their losses coming to Waubonsee. The Chiefs become the first team to represent the Region IV at the NJCAA Division II Tournament, just as they were the first Region IV program to play in the NJCAA Division I Tournament in 2011. Schlemmer was named the Region IV Women's Soccer Coach of the Year after garnering the same honor from the Illinois Skyway Collegiate Conference prior to the post-season.

Two minutes in the Chiefs had an opportunity to get on the board, but Lancers' keeper Giselle Raygoza deflected a shot that then sailed over the cross bar. Lake County broke through in the 20^th minute when Kelsey Johnson poked a shot over Waubonsee's Daisy Quinonez and into the upper right corner of the net. A minute later a Chiefs' handball violation gave the Lancers a free kick from 23 yards out, but Morgan Lung's shot sailed wide right. Just two minutes after that Kiara McPherson placed a perfect centering pass out in front of the goal that twin sister Olivia McPherson leaped high in the air and headed past Raygoza for a game-tying goal from five yards out. However, the Chiefs' lead didn't last even 30 seconds as the Lancers immediately pushed the ball up the field and a shot by Alexandria Wawryzniak from 12 yards out went through Quinonez' hands for a quick 2-1 Lake County lead. The Chiefs' best opportunity to knot the score came with five minutes remaining in the first half when Kiara McPherson curled a shot from 20 yards out that a leaping Raygoza snagged in the upper right side of the goal. The first half ended with the Lancers in front 2-1.

Waubonsee was able to tie the game eight minutes into the second period as Sarai Munoz set up Olivia McPherson with a nice pass on the left side of the 18-yard box. The freshman quickly drilled a left-footed shot in the left corner of the net to beat Raygoza for her 23^rd goal of the season, which places her second nationally in goals scored among all NJCAA Division II players. Her 51 points on the year also place the Aurora West High School graduate second nationally in that category. Shortly thereafter both teams had opportunities to take the lead. Only a minute later Eliana Zagoren had a shot go across the front of the goal and just wide left of the post.  In the 58^th minute Olivia McPherson out raced a pair of Lancers' defenders, but her left-footed shot sailed wide right of the goal. In the 62^nd minute a Lancers' shot missed to the right of the goal as well as play became increasingly more physical as the match progressed.

In the 80^th minute Yari Aguado got control of the ball off of a pass from Munoz and lofted a shot from 20 yards out that found the back of the net over the outstretched hands of Raygoza. Aguado, who had not scored a goal during the regular season, tallied the Chiefs' game-winning goals in all three of their tournament victories to be named the Region IV Tournament's Most Valuable Player. Lake County nearly tied the score a minute later, but a header sailed wide right as the match began to wind down. The Lancers had one last gasp in the final seconds, but a shot went just wide left with only :08 left allowing the Chiefs to exhale and begin their victory celebration.