Concord Loses MEC Championship in Penalty Kicks

BUCKHANNON, W.Va. – The Concord University women's soccer team lost the Mountain East Conference Championship against West Virginia Wesleyan as the game needed penalty kicks to be decided after a scoreless 110-minute contest.

The Bobcats (13-1-4) won the shootout 3-2 to clinch the MEC Championship Sunday afternoon at Cebe Ross Field.

The game featured 21 shots on goal as West Virginia Wesleyan took 14 of those and forced sophomore goalkeeper Katie Maher into a career-best 14 saves.
Wesleyan appeared as though it would grab a late first half lead after a battle inside the penalty area, however, one shot from WVWC was blocked by sophomore defender Alyssa Mahar while the other was saved by Maher to keep the game scoreless at halftime.

Wesleyan continued to pepper the goal, but Maher was up to the task of saving each shot. In the 77^th minute, Concord (12-4-4) was poised to take the lead as back-to-back shots from freshman forward Leah Foster and sophomore midfielder Courtney Wallace were saved within a seven-second span.

Neither team broke through in regulation, sending the game to overtime.

Maher recorded three saves in the first three minutes of the first overtime. In the 97^th minute, sophomore midfielder Yasmin Mosby had a shot go high.

Just 36 seconds into the second overtime, CU once again appeared it may come up with the win after a shot from sophomore midfielder Mira Kontio was saved by WVWC's Ashlee Schumacher from three yards away.

The Bobcats would push a shot wide on the last play of double overtime.

In penalty kicks, Kontio led off with a conversion before Maher stopped the first Wesleyan attempt. However, Concord missed its next three and trailed 2-1 going to the fifth round. Mosby stepped up and connected on her try. But, WVWC's Natalie Pireu hit her penalty kick to win.

The Mountain Lions will await to see if they made the NCAA Tournament when the selection show airs 6:30 p.m. Monday.

If Sunday was indeed the final contest of 2018, it was the final career games for defender Joanna Aiello, defender Makayal Ballenger midfielder Delaney Crumblish, forward Pilar Elias, defender Katelyn Gibbs and midfielder Taylor Life.