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BEXLEY, Ohio – The No. 3 seed Otterbein women's soccer team exacted sweet revenge over cross-town rival and second-seeded Capital in the OAC Tournament semifinals Thursday night from Bernlohr Stadium, scoring twice in the second half to advance into a second-straight championship contest.

The Cardinals, losing 2-0 on the same field just five days prior, flipped the script this time around in moving to a 16-3-1 record on the season. As a result, Otterbein earns a rematch with top seed Ohio Northern this coming weekend with an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament on the line. ONU used a late 88th-minute goal to slip past John Carroll, 1-0, in the other semifinal matchup.

Both Otterbein and Capital found opportunities in the opening minutes, as the hosts saw a 2 on 1 push that was turned away while an Otterbein free kick sailed through the box on the opposite end. Capital (14-6) ultimately hit the scoreboard midway through the first half on a sequence that began with Otterbein goalie Erin Gordon jumping to make a save, pushing an incoming shot over the crossbar..

That led to a Crusader corner kick that was unable to be fully cleared, and a foul just inside the right side of the box led to a penalty kick in the 25th minute. Allysa Kimbler stepped up for Capital to promptly bury home the PK look.

The Cards quickly drew even to begin the second half, receiving a free kick of their own after a Capital handball in the box off an Otterbein corner attempt. Emily Ganz finished strong moments later to lock the score at 1-1.

Ganz officially put Otterbein ahead 11 minutes later at the 57:09 mark, staying with a loose ball near the top of the box and battling for position after an initial shot was blocked. She eventually ripped a shot that snuck in lower right before sprinting to celebrate with the Cardinal bench.

Otterbein's defense held strong down the stretch, fighting off a few Capital pressure attacks, while also pushing forward offensively when needed. Tuesday's hero Annie Howell ripped a shot off the post with roughly 16 minutes remaining, while Katie Exline had a rocket saved with seven minutes to go that could have also extended the lead.

The Cardinals stood their tallest in the closing minutes, thwarting an up-close look from Capital in a chaotic box to prevail. Otterbein finished the chilly and chippy night with a 21-14 shot advantage, while the match saw a combined 30 fouls. Gordon had six saves in the Cardinal net while counterpart Kelly Bachmann had eight for Capital.

Saturday's showdown at Ohio Northern will be the second meeting in 11 days between the schools, as the Polar Bears recently escaped Westerville with a wild 2-1 decision. Starting time from Ada is still to be determined with other league events also taking place.

Stay tuned to otterbeincardinals.com and our social media outlets for updates heading into the weekend.