WESTERVILLE, OHIO - Otterbein, 20-0-1 on the season and ranked third nationally, will travel to Dubuque, Iowa to take on host and #4 Loras (22-1) Saturday in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Division III women's soccer tournament. Starting time is set for noon.
#20 Denison and #22 Wisconsin-Stevens Point will square off in the second match Saturday at 2:30 p.m., with the winners returning Sunday afternoon at 1 p.m. to play for a berth in the Final Four.
The Cardinals defeated Calvin (MI), 1-0, and Washington-St. Louis, 2-0, this past weekend to earn its third-straight Sweet 16 appearance. The team has been bounced from the Round of 16 in each of the past two seasons.
"I think the same thing that has gotten us here is what can help us advance, and that's our experienced group leading the way," said Head Coach Brandon Koons. "They've been here before, it's not new anymore, and we're not just happy to be here."
"There is no 'next year' for eight of them," Koons continued. "When things got tough against Calvin, I knew the mindset of our juniors and seniors would get us through. We kept our cool, and that goes a long way this time of year."
Senior Jenny Knox scored the game-winner with four minutes remaining in regulation to drop Calvin, while senior Lindsey Rudibaugh and junior Adrienne Novak each scored in the first 20 minutes to help topple Wash-U.
Rudibaugh leads the team with 23 points (nine goals, five assists) while Novak sits second on the team in scoring with 19 points (eight goals, three assists).
Senior Cristen Herold picked up her 12th assist over the weekend, and ranks in the top 25 nationally in the category.
The Cardinals posted their 18th and 19th shutouts of the season over the weekend to remain atop the country in the category. The team has allowed just three goals all season, and none in the last ten matches.
Senior goalkeeper Tara Carter has had a hand in every shutout this season, and now has 52 for her career. She holds a stellar goals-against average of 0.15 this season, good enough to rank in the top three nationally.
Loras is in the NCAA tournament for the eighth time, and advanced to the Round of 16 after defeating Aurora, 3-1, and conference rival Wartburg, 2-0, this past weekend at its home field.
Junior Kate Young leads the way offensively for the Duhawks with 12 goals and seven assists to her credit.
Junior Jessica Kern and freshman Jaclyn Tumberger have each tallied six goals this season, with Kern notching an impressive 15 assists.
Junior goalkeeper Katie Chambers has allowed seven goals this season for an average of 0.35 per contest. In addition, she has added four goals of her own this season, including the game-winners in each of the first two round of this year's tournament.
At 5'9", Chambers typically comes up to serve as a target on Duhawk corners and free kicks in opponents territory.
The two schools have one common opponent this season in Washington-St. Louis. Loras escaped with a 1-0 double overtime victory in Missouri earlier this season.
Options regarding following the contest will be posted this week, and can be accessed by choosing the "details" tab on the schedule page.
