FROSTBURG, Md. – The Frostburg women's soccer team will be making its fourth appearance in the Capital Athletic Conference Tournament on Saturday, but the journey didn't come without some flare.
The Bobcats (10-8-1) advanced to the title game by downing St. Mary's (10-6-2), 4-2, on penalty kicks after 110 minutes wasn't enough time to decide a winner.
On paper, the contest was nearly evenly matched as Frostburg held a slim 16-14 edge in shots, but both teams put nine attempts on net and both keepers finished with eight saves.
The Bobcats picked up the 4-2 decision on PKs by making four of their five attempts. On the other side, St. Mary's made its first two but missed on the final two to seal the outcome.
Bobcat sophomore keeper Rhianna Lapen and senior Jessi Martz made the first two PKs for the Bobcats. Freshman Brooke Shehade connected on a left-footed attempt before junior Melanie Bell knocked her attempt into the right side of the net as Bobcat Stadium celebrated.
Frostburg advances to face top seed Christopher Newport in the championship game on Saturday in Newport News, Va. at 5:30 pm. The winner will receive the league's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.
In the first half of regulation, St. Mary's struck first for a 1-0 cushion. Sawyer was fouled just outside the 18-yard box and resulted in a free kick for the Seahawks.
Emily Huey took the ensuing free kick for St. Mary's and buried a hard, low shot into the left side of the net past a wall of Frostburg defenders at 23:03.
Frostburg opened action with the game's first shot. Bell had a left-footed attempt from the left side of the 18-yard box saved by St. Mary's keeper Sydney Larkin at 1:58. Bell and Shehade each had another shot in the first half turned away by Larkin.
For the Bobcats, Lapen finished the first half with three saves. After Huey's goal, Lapen denied a header from Claire Kostelnik off a corner kick (26:13) and Sawyer attempted a shot in the 37
th minute that was corralled by Lapen.
Both teams traded shots in the opening few minutes of the second half until Frostburg knotted things at 1-1. Martz knocked a corner kick towards the Seahawk goal at 62:29 and eight seconds later the ball was headed into the lower right corner of the net by sophomore Danielle Ferris.
Aside from the Frostburg goal, arguably the biggest play of the second half came when St. Mary's was awarded a penalty kick after a foul was committed in the box. Sawyer was given the PK, but Lapen made a diving save to her right to keep the score at 1-1.
A late foul was whistled with just 1.1 showing on the second half clock and the ensuing free kick attempt from the Seahawks was blocked sending the contest into extra time.
In the first overtime, Frostburg junior Alyssa Malanik had a free kick from 35 yards out and her long shot was pulled out of the air by Larkin with just under four minutes to play.
In the second overtime, Lapen made back-to-back saves. Sawyer had a left footed shot from inside the 18 that was stopped by Lapen at 106:42 and three minutes later, Lapen blocked a Jenna Pastel shot to send the contest in PKs.
