Contact: Nathan Cameron, Assistant Director of Athletic Communications, 563-588-7243

Nov. 6, 2021 - Riding high on a mid-week double overtime victory over the Luther College Norse in the American Rivers Conference (A-R-C) Tournament Semifinals, the No. 9 Loras College women's soccer team (18-0-1, 8-0-0 A-R-C) played host to A-R-C rival Wartburg College in the Championship matchup at the Rock Bowl. The Duhawks punched their ticket to the NCAA Division III Women's Soccer Tournament with a commanding 4-1 victory over the Knights to claim their 16th A-R-C Tournament title in program history. 

After playing the hero against the Norse, scoring the game-winning goal in double overtime, senior forward Ryleigh O'Brien put the Duhawks on the board midway through the first half on a corner kick taken by NCAA Division III assist leader Payton McDonnell, whose pass was deflected from a Wartburg defender and to Reagan Lindsay who passed to O'Brien to tuck into the back of the net to go ahead 1-0 in the 25th minute. 

Ten minutes later, Hannah Schmitz tallied her first goal of the season on another corner kick taken by McDonnell that found Schmitz far post to put home and take a two goal lead in the 35th minute. 

McDonnell continued her dominance at the corners on set plays in the 42nd minute, this time finding Savannah Johnson in the box who fired a missile of a header past Knights keeper Marissa Lopez for her first goal of the season to widen the Duhawks' lead to three goals heading into half time. 

In the second half, fifth year senior Brynn Jacobi lined up to take a throw in in the attacking zone where she put a long throw into the box that deflected off of a Wartburg defender and into the net for an own goal to further widen the Duhawks' lead to four goals to none. 

Wartburg scored their only goal of the game in the closing seconds of the game on a corner kick taken by Sarah Campbell who scored far post off the corner, but the Duhawks' lead was too far out of reach for the Knights to catch back up. 

The Duhawks fired off 14 shots in the game with seven on goal while Wartburg took ten total shots with four making it on goal. In net, Kyndal Kells turned away three of the four shots on goal she faced. McDonnell's three assists on the night bring her within six of the program record that is currently held by Michelle Wieser who finished her career with 53 assists. 

Loras will continue play in the postseason in the NCAA Division III Women's Soccer Tournament with an automatic bert from the A-R-C Tournament title. The opponents and location are still to be determined at this time.