Capital Women to Host John Carroll in OAC Tournament Championship
The Capital University women's soccer team will once again host an Ohio Athletic Conference Tournament game, this time for the rights to the OAC Tournament title and an automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Tournament.
Both teams had tough, gritty matchups in the semifinal round, to which they defeated their opponents in order to keep their postseason dreams alive.
Capital defeated Otterbein, 1-0, this past Wednesday afternoon for the second time in five days.
Senior Livvy Hein scored the lone goal of the game for the Crusaders, as she netted a shot following a rebound off of a loose ball coming off an Otterbein defender, as the score would stay intact, advancing Capital, 1-0.
Senior goalkeeper Maggie Donnellan was once again superb in locking down the net, stopping the Cardinals lone shot on goal, while facing a total of six on the afternoon.
John Carroll advanced to the OAC Tournament finals following a 2-1, double overtime victory over No. 3 seeded Ohio Northern on Wednesday night.
Neither team scored through the first 64 minutes of action, until both teams netted a goal within a six minute span of one another.
Ohio Northern struck first in the 65th minute, while the Blue Streaks scored their lone goal of regulation in the 71st minute thanks to junior Kaylin Ackerly, followed by senior Genny Goergen's goal in the 103rd minute, ending the match at 2-1.
On an individual level, Capital has had a successful year in numerous ways within the conference, having recorded two OAC Player of the Week honorees in Donnellan and Hein.
The Crusaders' reigning OAC Goalkeeper of the Year, Maggie Donnellan (Cincinnati, Ohio), is currently second in the OAC in save percentage (.851), third in the conference in saves (97), while also placing fourth in goals-against average (0.88).
Senior Hilary Ells (Grandview Heights, Ohio) leads the OAC and the team Crusaders in goals (13), and is tied for first in the conference in points (26).
Sophomore Jamie Murray (West Palm Beach, Florida) is second on the team in points (20) and goals (8), placing in the top five in the OAC in points and goals as well.
Freshman Becca Cartmill (Temecula, California) currently leads the OAC and team in assists (9) and also ranks third on the team in points (17) and goals (4).
The Blue Streaks head into Sunday's match sporting an 11-6-3 overall record, having finished second in the OAC regular season standings at 7-2.
In addition, the Blue Streaks are currently ranked No. 7 in the latest NCAA/NSCAA Division III Great Lakes Regional Poll, while placing three players in the top five of an assorted amount of the OAC statistical leaders.
Leading the way for John Carroll this season is junior forward Kaylin Ackerly (Erie, Pennsylvania) who leads the team in points (19) and assists (7), and is tied for the team lead in goals (6).
Senior Nicki Bohrer (Hudson, Ohio) also has played a major role in the Blue Streaks offense this season, placing second on the team in points (12) and is tied for the team lead in goals (6).
A pair of goalkeepers have seen time in the net this season for the Blue Streaks, as junior Haley McDonald (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania) and senior Nicole Grys (Willoughby, Ohio) have appeared in goal in 13 and seven games, respectively.
McDonald has taken the majority of the starts in goal (13), posting a 1.32 goals-against average, while also placing fourth in the OAC in save percentage (.811), and fifth in the OAC in saves (73) and goals against (17).
Grys has made six starts this season for the Blue Streaks, posting a 1.31 goals-against average, while placing fifth in the conference in save percentage (.809).
Both Capital and John Carroll have just one non-conference opponent in common this season, as both played the current No. 14 nationally ranked team, Thomas More.
The Crusaders defeated then nationally ranked No. 14 Thomas More, 2-1, in double overtime, while the Blue Streaks fell, 5-0, to the Saints.
On Oct. 5, Capital defeated John Carroll, 2-0, at Bernlohr Stadium, the first time the two teams had met since the 2012 OAC Tournament quarterfinals.
Last season, the Blue Streaks ended the Crusaders run in the OAC Tournament, as they advanced to the semifinals after winning a shootout that was forced following double overtime.
The Blue Streaks have reached the OAC Tournament championship match in three straight seasons, while the Crusaders have now appeared in two of the last three title games.
