Clarke Advances to Heart Semifinals After Downing Ravens in Penalty Kicks
ATCHISON, Kan. – The No. 5-ranked Clarke women's soccer team posted an upset in the Heart of America Athletic Conference quarterfinals, knocking off No. 4 Benedictine College 2-2 in penalty kicks.
Four straight scored penalty kicks lifted the Pride to victory in an absolute nail biter on Saturday afternoon. Clarke defied the odds and made it all count when it mattered most, despite trailing in shots and corner kicks.
The Pride (12-5-2 overall) got out to an early 1-0 lead merely two and a half minutes into the match when Genevieve Cruz scored unassisted. The lead lasted into the half but was knotted up only 33 seconds into the second half when Benedictine's Rachel Beffa found the back of the net.
The Ravens (12-6-1) took control of the match in the 72nd minute when Beffa scored her second goal of the match. Samantha Rodriguez made sure that lead didn't last long, as the Corona, Calif. native scored unassisted two minutes later to tie things back up.
Although the Ravens dominated the first overtime with advantages in shots (2-0) and corner kicks (3-0), Clarke managed to push the match into a second overtime by holding the Ravens scoreless.
Pride goalkeeper Faith Krapfl was masterful in the second overtime, racking up four of her nine saves during the period. Neither team would find the back of the net though, sending the game into penalty kicks.
Benedictine shot first in a five-round shootout against the Pride and connected on their first attempt. Cruz shot first and scored for the Pride, before Krapfil made a save on Benedictine's second attempt, knocking it out on the right side. Morgan Catchur had the second penalty attempt, scoring on the left side.
Benedictine connected on their third attempt before Jamie Albertson scored on the left side. Riley Degner had the third made PK for the Ravens, before Shannon Catchur connected on the Pride's fourth attempt. Benedictine's final attempt was saved by Krapfil, who dove left and secured the victory.
Clarke only registered 15 shots throughout the game, with only six coming on goal. Shannon Catchur led the team in shots with five while Rodriguez had three.
Up next, the Pride will move on to the semifinal round of the Heart tournament and face the No. 1 ranked Central Methodist Eagles.