Interactive Bracket
St. Louis, Mo. – For the second time in program history, the University of Findlay women's soccer team competed in the first round of the NCAA Division II Midwest Regional. As the No. 5 seed, the Oilers faced fourth-seeded Great Midwest Athletic Conference (G-MAC) opponent Cedarville, earning a thrilling 2-1 victory to keep their season alive. With the win, Findlay advances to the second round of the Midwest Regional and improves its record to 14-2-5.
Despite Cedarville entering the contest with the G-MAC Goalkeeper of the Year and Defender of the Year, it was the Oilers who struck first. Ashlyn Brown found the back of the net for her first collegiate goal, placing a shot just out of reach of the Cedarville goalkeeper following a beautiful pass from Raegan Smith. The Yellow Jackets threatened on several occasions, including a shot that struck the crossbar with just under 10 minutes remaining in the first half, but Findlay maintained its 1-0 advantage heading into halftime.
Just as it appeared the Oilers were beginning to take control, Cedarville responded with an equalizing goal in the 62nd minute to even the score at 1-1.
Rather than allowing the momentum to shift entirely in Cedarville's favor, the Orange and Black continued to battle, maintaining their advantage in possession. Their efforts paid off in the 80th minute, as Avary Zeisloft found Taylir Lynam through traffic in the box, with Lynam finishing the opportunity for the game-winning goal.
Findlay's defense stood tall once again in the closing minutes, limiting Cedarville's scoring opportunities to preserve the victory. The back line of Ashlyn Brown, Sofia Cetrone, Olivia Gayhart, and Kate Delaney each played all 90 minutes, helping the Oilers secure the win.
In goal, Cat Graves recorded two saves to earn another victory, improving her record to 14-2-5 on the season.
With the win, Findlay advances to the second round of the Midwest Regional, where the Oilers will face the winner of the matchup between the University of Missouri-St. Louis and Saginaw Valley State. The second-round contest is scheduled for Saturday, November 14, at 4 pm.
