(Sugar Grove, IL) – In an intense back and forth match, top-seeded Waubonsee Community College pulled out a thrilling 3-1 victory over fifth-seeded Bryant & Stratton College in the Semi-finals of the 2021 Region IV Division II Women's Soccer Tournament. The Chiefs held off the upset minded Bobcats (10-6) from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, over the final 30 minutes of play after scoring twice within three minutes of play to take the lead. Waubonsee (15-1-1), ranked fourth nationally in the latest NJCAA Division II poll, will host second-seeded South Suburban College (15-2) in the championship match this coming Saturday, November 6 beginning at 2:00 p.m. The Bulldogs, ranked eighth in the same national poll, downed 17th ranked and third-seeded Triton College (12-3) in the other semi-final match 4-0. Waubonsee and South Suburban played on October 23 in the regular season finale for both, with the Chiefs prevailing 4-0. This will also be the Chiefs' 12th appearance in the Region IV title game in the last 14 years.
Entering their semi-final match-up against Bryant & Stratton, Waubonsee had previously beaten the Bobcats 4-0 back on September 25, pulling away with three second-half goals. The Bobcats reached the semi-finals by upsetting fourth-ranked Morton College (9-4-3) on Sunday 3-1 in Cicero. Morton had beaten the Bobcats 6-0 only eight days before. The Chiefs were determined to not let Bryant & Stratton turn the tables on them as well.
Just a minute and a half into the game Sonia Macias received a pass in the middle of the field just outside of the box on Bryant & Stratton's end. The sophomore quickly passed the ball to the left wing where Kiara McPherson was streaking down the left side. McPherson raced in and drilled a left-footed shot from five yards out into the far side of the goal to beat Bobcats' keeper Katy Sippel for a quick 1-0 Chiefs' lead.
In the 17th minute the Bobcats nearly tied the score when Heliamar Alvarado got free on a breakaway. However, her shot hit the right post and bounded back into the hands of Chiefs' keeper Isabelle Harkleroad. Eight minutes later Alvarado, a native of Yaracuy, Venezuela, again got ahead of Waubonsee's defense. This time she beat Harkleroad with a shot into the right corner of the net to knot the score. The goal was just the fourth allowed by Harkleroad all season and the first in the last six matches that she has been in net for Waubonsee.
Both teams had several solid scoring opportunities in a fast paced first half. Sippel turned back a handful of Chiefs' shots, while two other Bobcats' shots also hit the right post. The teams went into halftime deadlocked at 1-all, and the pace did not slow down as the second half started.
In the 56th minute the Chiefs finally broke through when Sarai Munoz bodied up a pass from Katie Jones in the middle of the field. The sophomore gained control of the ball and drilled a left-footed shot from 15-yards out into the right corner of the goal, out of the reach of a diving Sippel. Only three minutes later Olivia McPherson put a shot on goal from 25 yards out that sailed over Sippel's head into the upper left corner of the net for a 3-1 Waubonsee lead.
From that point on the Chiefs kept the Bobcats back on their heels, staying aggressive on offense as much as possible. That tactic didn't allow Bryant & Stratton to mount a comeback and they seemed to wear down physically as the game progressed. For the match Harkleroad was credited with 10 saves, while the Chiefs out shot the Bobcats 21-13 on the day.
