The 2021 campaign has been a historic year for the Beloit College women's soccer team as it continues its record-breaking season with the program's debut in the NCAA Division III tournament this weekend. The Buccaneers will head to Missouri to take on host Washington University in St. Louis in the first round.
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Game Information
NCAA First Round: Beloit College (8-4-5) vs. #6 Washington University in St. Louis (13-1-2)
Game Time: 11 a.m. CT
Game Date: Saturday, November 13
Game Location: Francis Olympic Field
Game Coverage: Live Stats | Live Video (will be added when available)
*Admission will be charged at the gate. Cash only. (Adults: $7; Seniors/Students: $3; Children 3-12: $2)
**All fans must fill out a screening form prior to entry into facility. For more information see WashU COVID-19 Protocols
The Matchup: The Premiere vs. The Perennial Power
The Buccaneers are making their NCAA debut Saturday after winning the Midwest Conference Tournament title for the first time in program history in shootout fashion. The Bears, a perennial powerhouse, are making their 20th NCAA appearance. The 2016 national champions fell in the quarterfinals in 2019 and boast a 40-15-9 NCAA tournament record.
Beloit has been carried by their stifling defense all season. The Bucs are ranked among the top 50 nationally, out of over 400 teams, in save percentage (28th, .874) and goals against average (47th, .637). Individually, Beloit's junior goalkeeper
Audrey Ketterer is ranked in the top 40 with an .878 save percentage (31st) and .576 goals against average (36th).
At a program level, the 2021 Bucs hold multiple season records. They currently have allowed the fewest goals in a season (12), boast the lowest goals against average (.637) and hold the most shutouts in a season (10) in program history.
The best defense in the Midwest Conference is championed by a phenomenal, albeit unusual, three goalie rotation. All three Buc keepers,
Briana Arteaga,
Maya Betzler and Ketterer are currently ranked 1-2-3 in the program record book for goals against average this season. Ketterer has started all 18 games for Beloit this season. Typically playing the first 45, Ketterer has 43 saves in over 900 minutes of action. Betzler and Arteaga rotate for second half and overtime duties combining for 38 saves in over 800 minutes in goal. Betzler was brilliant in the Bucs' shootout win over Knox College in the MWC Tournament Championship making two saves on two shots on goal.
Offensively, the Bucs are led by senior
Makenna Downing and sophomore
Abigail Membrino with five goals each. Junior
Mikaila Davis and sophomore
Alayna Furch share team-high assist honors with three each. The Bucs' points leader for 2021 is Downing with 12.
WashU is also nationally ranked in goals against average (21st, .426) while keeper Sidney Conner has an individual mark of .430, 17th amongst keepers individually. Their offense is led by senior Erin Flynn, a National Player of the Week honoree in October. Flynn leads WashU this season with 13 points and is tied with teammate and fellow senior Tyler Wilson with five goals on the season. Sophomore Kate Flynn is the Bears' assist leader with four.
Conner has registered nearly 1300 minutes in goal for the Bears in 2021 allowing just six goals while tallying 27 saves and shutting out eight opponents.
The Journey: A Cinderella Story
Although Beloit was picked to finish eighth in the nine-team league in the MWC preseason poll, the Bucs knew they had talent and an opportunity to surprise teams and soccer fans alike. Beloit ran through their non-conference slate with a 3-1-2 record that prepared them for Midwest Conference play.
The Bucs opened league competition with a 3-0 win over Ripon before meeting Knox College for the first time. Beloit held the eventual regular season league champions to a single goal, falling 1-0 for their lone conference loss of the 2021 campaign. In the next four league matches, Beloit registered a win against Illinois College and battled to three double overtime ties. With only four teams advancing to the MWC Tournament, the race for the postseason came down to the final week of games.
Beloit opened the final week of play at Lawrence University. The Vikings were third in the MWC standings heading into the game followed by Monmouth College then Beloit and Grinnell. The Bucs, Fighting Scots and Vikings were all in action Tuesday with the results shaking up the league standings. Monmouth captured a win over Cornell to jump into third.
Meanwhile, in Appleton, the Bucs were busy grabbing hold of their own postseason destiny. In the 15
th minute, Beloit earned a corner on the far side of the field.
Lorraine Pedroza sent a low ball in, near the top of the box that
Bri Paez got a boot on. That connection had a bounding ball leap over the outstretched arm of the Viking keeper and fall under the crossbar to the back of the net for an early advantage. Davis gave Beloit a cushion with another goal in the second half to secure the win giving the Bucs three conference points.
Now tied with Lawrence in the league standings, the Bucs controlled their fate setting up a "win and in" scenario for the team's regular season finale. The final two spots would be determined by the results from two matches Saturday, Beloit vs. Cornell in Beloit and Monmouth at Lawrence.
In front of the home crowd Saturday at the Strong Soccer Complex in Beloit, the Bucs and Rams were scoreless after the first 45. Membrino broke the stalemate early in the second half capitalizing on a pair of assists from teammates
Natalie Ortiz and Davis to put Beloit ahead 1-0. The defense held the rest of the way to secure the team's ticket to the conference tournament.
The seeding came down to the Monmouth-Lawrence match. As the Vikings pulled out the 1-0 double overtime win over the Fighting Scots, Beloit took the third seed and Lawrence secured the final spot in the tournament.
Turning some heads as the season wore on and by making the conference tournament, Beloit still seemed to be the underdog heading into the postseason. Head Coach
Connor McKee knew his team had the talent to make history, and that's exactly what they did.
Late game theatrics sent the Bucs into the tournament final as a defensive battle was broken by Ortiz in the 86th as she found the back of the net off an assist from Downing. A 3-0 win over Lawrence for Knox in the second semifinal of the day setup the championship with an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament on the line.
The teams' second meeting of the season was much like the first. This time Beloit's defense held Knox off the scoreboard through regulation. Then through the first overtime period. And then again through the second overtime. With no score through 110 minutes of play, the MWC Tournament title and the league's berth into the NCAA tournament would come down to a shootout.
The Bucs got the first shot from the penalty spot.
Gracie Gasmann was tapped for the chance to give Beloit the early lead and capitalized sending a screaming shot by the outstretched arms of the Prairie Fire's diving keeper and inside the right post. 1-0 Beloit.
Betzler, who had taken over for Ketterer to start the second half of the contest, took her spot in front of goal. Betzler read Knox's first attempt perfectly, laying out and punching the shot wide of goal. 1-0 Beloit.
Aspen Valentine was the next Buc to step up to the penalty spot. Her off speed shot to the lower left corner had the keeper off balance to extend the shootout advantage. 2-0 Beloit.
The Prairie Fire's Brianna Dietz tried to go high on their next attempt but the ball sailed over the crossbar. 2-0 Beloit.
Pedroza really put the pressure on forcing a must score for Knox as her blast inside the left post found the back of the net. 3-0 Beloit.
Knox needed to score to extend the shootout. Betzler, on the other hand, was up to the task. Another brilliant read had Betzler fully extending to her right and connecting for the phenomenal save to secure Beloit's first ever MWC Tournament title and berth into the NCAA tournament.
The Bucs have continued to grab attention throughout the season surprising doubters and making history along the way. "Anytime you make the NCAA Tournament it is pretty special," said Coach McKee. "To be the first team to do it in program history makes it even more special. We now get a chance at trying to upset the #6 team in the nation on their home turf. We are absolutely going to make the most of that opportunity, and we look forward to continuing to make our supporters proud of this program."
What's Next
The winner of the Beloit/WashU matchup will advance to the second round to face the winner of Dominican and Hanover. The second round match is slated for 1 p.m. Sunday, November 14.
For additional visitor information including parking and admission policies, see the WashU Regional Webpage.
