BU season comes to end on penalties

LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga. -- The third-seeded Bellevue University women's soccer team, after playing second-seeded Viterbo University scoreless for 110 minutes, saw their season come to an end in the A.I.I. Tournament Semifinals with the V-Hawks advancing to tomorrow's Championship Match with a 4-3 penalty kick shootout victory.

Records:

Bellevue: 6-6-3
Viterbo: 9-3-2

Recap: Bellevue 0, Viterbo 0 (Viterbo advances 4-3 on PKs)

Both teams had chances in the first period with Viterbo hitting two posts and Bellevue's Lays Freitas sending a free kick off the cross bar.

Just before the end of the first half Lexie Reesman sent a header – off a Viterbo corner kick – towards goal but her attempt clanged off the cross bar and clanged out to Lara Boyum whose follow-up attempt was saved by Sabrina Staufenbiel.

Viterbo held the majority of possession and out-shot the Bruin 8-3 but each team managed just one shot on frame by the halftime break.

Bellevue saw little in the way of dangerous chances in the second half while the V-Hawks twice had quality scoring opportunities. In the 56^th minute Abigail Mumm had a shot blocked by the Bruin defense that trickled just wide of goal. Then, in the 87^th minute, Sydney King saw her attempt saved

The game remained scoreless as it entered overtime despite Viterbo racking up a 15-6 advantage in shots. BU, however, held a 4-2 advantage in shots on goal.

In overtime, Viterbo controlled most of the dangerous possession and totaled a 5-0 corner kick advantage but were unable to find a winner.

For the game, Viterbo out-shot Bellevue 19-3 but the Bruins put five shots on target to the V-Hawks' three.

Bellevue shot first in the penalty shootout. After failing to convert their first two attempts, BU entered the third round of PKs down 1-0 and needing to convert. Each of Bellevue's final three penalty takers – Kaycee Driever, Freitas, and Staufenbiel – converted their attempts, but Viterbo matched that effort to win 4-3 and advance to tomorrow's A.I.I. Championship Match against Georgia Gwinnett College.

Notes:

• Bellevue falls to 1-2 all-time in penalty kick shootouts.
• The only other games that required penalty kicks in program history occurred back in 2010. BU defeated Carroll in the A.I.I. Championship and fell to Oklahoma City in the NAIA Opening Round.
• The game marked Bellevue's sixth overtime contest of the season with the Bruins finishing the year 1-2-3 in such contests.