(Sugar Grove, IL) – For the fourth time in program history, the Waubonsee Community College women's soccer team is headed to the NJCAA Division II National Tournament. The top-seeded Chiefs won a hard fought 1-0 victory over second-seeded South Suburban College in the championship of the 2021 Region IV Tournament on Saturday afternoon. A large crowd witnessed the Chiefs prevail in a match-up between two teams ranked in the top-10 in the latest NJCAA Division II poll. Waubonsee (16-1-1), ranked fourth nationally, held off eighth-ranked South Suburban College (14-3) to advance to the National Tournament, which will begin on November 15 at the Stryker Complex in Wichita, Kansas.
In the opening minutes each team had a potential scoring opportunity thwarted, as Chiefs' keeper Isabelle Harkleroad and Bulldogs' keeper Ruby Rosalas both made nice stops of shots on goal. The match remained scoreless throughout the first half with a majority of the action taking place on South Suburban's end of the field. The Chiefs' best chance to score in the first half came in the 40th minute when Rosalas leaped to deflect a 25-yard shot by Tsion White that hit the cross bar and bounded away. Two minutes later the Bulldogs' Priscilla Sotelo also got off a good shot that was snagged by Harkleroad, as the half ended in a scoreless tie.
The lone score of the match came early in the second half off of a free kick. Waubonsee's Kiara McPherson, who along with her twin sister Olivia had helped Waubonsee's volleyball team advance to the semi-finals of the Region IV Tournament earlier in day in north suburban Grayslake, launched a free kick from 20 yards out on the left wing. Kicked into the slight wind coming out of the south, the ball drifted high and over the head of a leaping Rosalas, slipping through her hands and into the back of the net. McPherson's 12th goal of the season turned out to be all the Chiefs needed.
The teams then battled through the remaining 40 minutes of play with Harkleroad and Rosalas both making several key stops. In the 68th minute the Chiefs almost tacked on a vital insurance goal when Katie Jones received a low, line drive pass directly in front of the goal. However, her header bounced just wide right of the far post while a flat-footed Rosalas could only look on. In the end Waubonsee's defense held on to record a second straight shutout win over the Bulldogs and their high-scoring duo of Sotelo and Amaris Gonzalez. Sotelo entered the day fourth nationally among all NJCAA Division II players with 28 goals, while Gonzalez was second in the nation with 34 goals and first in assists with 29. Neither was able to find the back of the net in two matches against the Chiefs, as Waubonsee previously blanked South Suburban 4-0 on October 23. The Bulldogs will now have to wait to see if they receive one of four at-large bids to the National Tournament, which will be chosen by an NJCAA committee within just a few days.
Waubonsee secured its' second straight berth in the NJCAA Division II National Tournament by posting its 12th shutout of the season. With the help of defenders Amy Flores, Bailey Prichard, Lindsay Ferris, Sonia Macias, Emely Mendoza and Molly Herbig, Harkleroad was credited with 14 saves for the match and was named the Region IV Tournament Most Valuable Player. For the season the sophomore has registered 15 wins with eight shutouts, allowing only four goals while compiling a miniscule 0.29 goals-against-average.
