Women's Tournament Championships Roundup

by Tom Hindle

November 7, 2022

Sunday brought nearly endless college soccer. For seven hours, teams clashed in conference tournament finals in a show of college soccer at its best. Some games — such as Penn State's win over Michigan State — were high scoring, open affairs. Others, such as West Virginia's narrow win over TCU were far more testy. But all brought drama. And all ended in silverware. And for 23 teams, they ended in a chance to play in the NCAA Tournament. Here's a look at some of the day's best.

Florida State Holds Off North Carolina, 2-1

The ACC Tournament championship wasn’t supposed to play out like this. The result was perhaps something of a surprise — UNC(w) is deep enough to beat anyone. But the manner in which it was played — stingy, close, lacking in offensive quality — seemed unusual. Still, there was entertainment to be found in this oddity between two of the nation’s best teams.

Avery Patterson opened the scoring, much against the run of play. The Tar Heels took their time, pulling the Florida State defense one way and the other. And then, they pounced. Patterson drifted into space inside the penalty area, shifted the ball onto her right foot, and finished from close range. Florida State responded within 10 minutes, as Jenna Nighswonger whipped in a corner that evaded five players before soaring into the net. Jody Brown put the Tar Heels into the lead just after the break, reacting first to a rebound and tucking the ball away — before silencing the UNC-heavy crowd in celebration. And that was all the Seminoles needed. UNC pushed bodies up in the dying minutes, creating a few chances. But Florida State keeper Cristina Roque had little to do, with her team calmly seeing out a 2-1 win.

West Virginia Beats TCU, 1-0, on Freak Free Kick

Jordan Brewster was really just looking for a teammate. It was the first half of extreme time, and the West Virginia defender launched a speculative free kick downfield from inside her own half. But the ball kept going, soaring over both teams’ heads, before skipping off the turf, right over a helpless TCU goalie — who could only watch it spin into the net. It was one of those freak things. Not an intentional strike. Not really a defensive error. Just a ball that didn’t slow down. It is, perhaps, appropriate that this contest ended in such a way. TCU mounted early pressure, peppering the West Virginia goal. A series of neat saves and well timed blocks kept the ball out, though, and the game settled into a slightly hectic affair. Sustained possession for either side was a luxury, and shots on goal were few. The manner of the winner felt cruel on TCU, but it was perhaps a slight sense of chaos that a tight game needed. It capped off a dream run for West Virginia. It has struggled for consistency this season, but seems to have hit a groove at the right time — and could find a new level with a trophy added to its cabinet.

South Carolina Edges Alabama, 1-0

When these two sides met back on September 15, Alabama controlled the game with relative ease. The Crimson Tide outshot South Carolina, 20-6, and scored twice in 74 seconds early in the second half to pick up a vital SEC win. This contest cast that 2-0 Alabama win far back into memory. The two teams combined for eight shots on target and 24 fouls, a chippy state that far suited South Carolina. And the Gamecocks capitalized, scoring the game’s only goal, with Brianna Behm shifting the ball out of her feet and smashing home from close range. Alabama responded with the vigor of a team that has only lost once this season — an assertive, near aggressive approach. But South Carolina sat on the lead, seeing out the game with limited fuss.

Penn State Strikes Late to Beat Michigan State, 3-2

Ally Schlegel quite simply jumped higher than her defender. Her Penn State teammate had flicked a header toward goal, the ball looping dangerously just outside the six yard box. And with the goalkeeper rooted to her line, Schlegel rose above a Michigan State defender to nod the ball in. It wasn’t a pretty goal, but Schlegel and the Nittany Lions didn’t care — it won them the Big Ten Championship. Her strike marked the final act in a hectic championship match. Michigan State took the lead early, but Penn State fought back against the title favorites, going ahead 2-1 early in the second half. And when Michigan State’s Lauren Debeau cracked one in with 15 minutes remaining to lock the score at 2-2, a Spartans victory seemed likely. But Schlegel’s jump settled things with 8 minutes to play.

Around The Grounds:

Georgetown edged Xavier, 1-0, for its third straight Big East title. Tatum Lenain’s left footed strike from 10 yards out secured the win.
St. Louis(w) breezed by Dayton, beating the Flyers 4-0 to claim its fifth straight A-10 tournament championship. The Billikens have won 18 games in a row.
Old Dominion edged James Madison in the Sun Belt championship, using a 106th minute goal to win its second straight conference tournament championship.
New Hampshire and Binghamton needed penalties to settle things in the America East. The Wildcats’ Abbi Maier smashed home her penalty to win the shootout — sending New Hampshire to the NCAA tournament.
Shae Taylor played hero as Memphis snagged a 1-0 overtime win against SMU to win the AAC Tournament. It was perhaps a deserved win, as the Tigers outshot the Mustangs, 17-7.

Other scores:

Quinnipiac 4-0 Niagara
Buffalo 2-0 Ball State
UTSA 3-2 FAU(w)
Missouri State 1-0 Murray State
Radford 3-0 Gardner Webb(w)
FDU(w) 2-2 Sacred Heart (FDU wins 5-4 in PKs)
Bucknell 0-0 Army (Bucknell wins 3-1 in PKs)
Jackson State 4-2 Grambling State
Lamar(w) 4-1 Texas A&M Commerce(w)
North Arizona 0-0 Idaho (NAU wins 4-3 on PKs)
Samford 0-0 UNCG(w) (Samford wins 6-5 on PKs)
West Virginia 1-0 TCU
SIUE 1-0 Tennessee Tech
UC Irvine 3-0 Long Beach State
New Mexico State 1-0 Utah Valley