Nov. 5, 2022 – If you want to see an emphatic finish to a conference slate, look no further than the No. 15/11 Loras College women's soccer team that claimed its second straight American Rivers Conference (A-R-C) Tournament Championship with a dominating 6-1 win over Simpson College on Saturday night.
The Duhawks (16-0-3) stayed unbeaten and darted out to a huge victory at home on Saturday to secure the A-R-C's automatic bid into the NCAA Division III National Tournament. Loras, the top seed after winning the A-R-C regular season title, took down the third-seeded Storm (11-6-1) for the 14
th match in a row.
With the wind at their backs in the first half, Loras wasted no time in building lead and taking away any chances for the Storm to build momentum. In the 12
th minute, junior forward
Savannah Johnson put the Duhawks on the board as she cashed in on a corner kick pass from senior midfielder
Payton McDonnell.
That goal opened the floodgates for Loras as senior
Abby Eriksen scored in 18
th minute, adding on with a sizzling shot after junior
Bella Talbot's shot was saved by Storm keeper Brenny Frederick.
Johnson and Ericksen alternated goals again as both cashed in once more in the half, both on corner kick assist from McDonnell. Senior forward
Erin Rieckens finished the first-half onslaught with a goal in the 41
st minute on an assist from senior
Caitlin Farrell.
McDonnel added two more points to another impressive final line as she capitalized on a penalty kick opportunity that was set up by a foul in the box against the Storm.
Loras allowed just one goal, an 81
st-minute strike from Simpson's Lizzie Arnburg to spoil the shutout. That goal was the first one allowed by the Duhawks since Sept. 30 versus Viterbo, ending an eight-game shutout streak, and is the only goal that an A-R-C team has scored against the Duhawks all season.
With the win, the Duhawks have earned the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Division III National Tournament. Loras will learn its first-round location and opponents during the official NCAA Selection Show on Monday, Nov. 7 at 1 P.M. central time.