Box Score

SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS – The third-ranked Otterbein University women's soccer team ended its magical season Friday evening, fighting #2 Hardin-Simmons University to a 0-0 tie before falling 4-2 in penalty kicks of the Division III national seminal at the Blossom Soccer Stadium. 

Click here to see highlights of the match.

The Cardinals end their season unbeaten at 20-0-4, the best record ever in program history. Hardin-Simmons, now 23-0-1, moves on to play Saturday evening for the national title against two-time defending national champion Messiah College, 4-0 winners over William-Smith College in the second semi-final match.

Otterbein keeper Tara Carter scooped up a soft Hardin-Simmons shot early, and the Cards responded with a nice corner kick from Cristen Herold into the box, only to see it cleared by the Cowgirls. 

Otterbein then cleared a Cowgirl corner and senior Lindsey Rudibaugh went to proceed on a counter attack, but had the forwarded movement stopped after her shirt was grabbed by Allison Ray of Hardin-Simmons. Ray received a yellow card for the action. 

Rudibaugh barely missed wide-right on a shot in the 17th minute, and junior Alyssa Hale hustled up the right side six minutes later to force the ball off a defender and earn the Cardinals a corner. 

Hardin-Simmons stood tough, and saw its best chance to that point a couple minutes later on a clear shot from the middle of the box. However, Carter made a nice save moving to her right-hand side to keep the game scoreless. 

Otterbein saw a shot off a corner deflect off the post with seven minutes remaining in the first half, and Carter came out of the net to make a clutch save at the end of the first 45 minutes for Otterbein. 

The Cards controlled the majority of possession over the first ten minutes of the second half, and Hardin-Simmons keeper Rebecca Roth was forced to make two saves on shots from Herold and Adrienne Novak. 

The Cowgirls came back in the 60th minute with a skidding pass across the box, but the ball was just out of reach for an incoming attacker. 

Otterbein continued to work down in its offensive end for opportunities, and tried to cash in when a ball into the box found the foot of sophomore Rachel Denz, similar to the development of her goal against Denison. However, the shot was brought in with a diving save from Roth.

Rudibaugh nearly put the Cards ahead with a rope from 30 yards away in the 86th minute, but Roth made a leaping save, punching the ball over the crossbar. HSU was able to clear the ensuing Cardinal corner and the match headed for overtime. 

Rudibaugh had a shot saved in overtime, and Hardin-Simmons saw two solid looks go high on its end, the first coming on a free kick from roughly 25 yards away. 

Carter made a key punch out on a Cowgirl corner in the second overtime, and Novak had a shot saved by Roth during a counter on the other end. Carter would then come up with a crucial snag in the box with less than ten seconds remaining as the match headed to penalty kicks. 

All-Americans Amy Kuykendall and Jenny Knox traded makes to open, and then Hardin-Simmons stayed ahead 2-1 after Alyssa Hale's attempt hit the right post. 

Tara Smith converted her attempt to keep Otterbein within one, 3-2, and Carter saved the ensuing Cowgirl try. Laura Vasbinder would see her shot saved, and Sarah Stansell stepped up to convert the clinching attempt for HSU. 

The Cowgirls held a 13-11 shot advantage, but Otterbein put more on goal at 7-4. Carter tallied four saves for the Cards while Rebecca Roth was forced to stop a season-high seven shots for HSU.

The Cardinals further cemented the stance that they're considered to have one of the best defenses in the country, picking up a 21st shutout after blanking a team that had scored over 100 goals this season.

"I asked the girls to do one thing tonight, and that was to leave it all on the field…. they did that," said Head Coach Brandon Koons. "I don't know if I've ever been through a cooler experience, considering the atmosphere with the crowd and the fans. I think it was the best I've ever seen an Otterbein team play." 

The tie marks the first blemish on the Hardin-Simmons record, putting them now at 23-0-1. The team had only been to one overtime match this season, and no penalty kick scenarios. 

"We had been through this before, and they haven't as much, so the longer it went the more I was expecting to see them crack," said Koons. "They just didn't crack. They didn't slow down, they never broke, and acted like they had been there before, even though they hadn't. I was very impressed." 

The match marks the last for eight record-setting seniors, all of which helped the program reach new heights over the last three seasons. The group went 58-4-7 in the span, finishing each season ranked in the top-ten nationally. 

"To have eight seniors on this team that lead completely by example and were so encouraging, you can't ask for more," said Denz. "Everyone dreamed of getting here, so to be able to do it for the seniors, with each other and for each other, was just amazing." 

"They are outstanding," Koons added. "Any time you have to take eight kids out of your starting lineup, you know they are going to be missed. I'm very proud of all of them."