OMAHA, Neb. - Meghan Pile’s goal six minutes into overtime Saturday gave the University of Nebraska at Omaha women’s soccer team a 1-0 victory over Northern Kentucky University in the NCAA Division II national quarterfinals.
Pile took a corner kick from Stephanie Kirby and headed the ball into the back of the net to snap the tie and end the match at the 96:13 mark. The goal sent the Mavericks (17-3-2) to the NCAA Division II Final Four for the second straight season, and it also marked the second year in a row that Nebraska-Omaha defeated NKU (17-3-4) in the national quarterfinals.
After clearing away one of NKU’s best scoring chances of the match, the Mavericks took the ball down field and forced a corner kick with just more than three minutes remaining in the first overtime. Kirby took the corner kick from the right side and sent it to a leaping Pile on the left side of the goal.
Pile, one of the tallest players in the box, headed it over Norse goalie Sam Westerling at the 96:13 mark for her collegiate first.
Nebraska-Omaha goalie Amy Price made five saves in picking up her 12th shutout of the season. Three NKU players - Amy Law, Laurel Chalk and Amy Martini - each attempted two shots.
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Amy Martini |