The Emory University women's soccer team is headed to the Elite Eight for the third time in program history following a dramatic win over Loras College Saturday afternoon in Dubuque, Iowa.
For the first time since 2012, the Eagles will be in the national quarterfinals after taking down the host Duhawks, 4-3, in penalty kicks following 110 minutes of 1-1 action. With a trip to Las Vegas up for grabs, Emory will now face Amherst College in the Elite Eight Sunday afternoon at 4:00 PM. The Mammoths defeated Illinois Institute of Technology, 3-0, in the other sectional semifinal on Saturday.
Saturday's match came down to five rounds of penalty kicks after regulation and two overtime periods could not decide a winner.
The Eagles saw successful attempts in each of their first four rounds as freshman Mikayla Camp, sophomores Kaitlyn Nimmer and Madison Teng, and junior Michelle Davidson were able to put the Eagles ahead 4-3 at the end of four rounds. The lone miss for Loras came in the second round when Emerson Gasmann failed to convert.
Senior Chayse Corfman stepped to the spot for the Eagles in round five but was stopped on a diving save by the Duhawks keeper. Needing one successful attempt to extend penalties, Loras sent Reagan Lindsay to the circle against junior Sophia Garcia. Lindsay tried to go left but Garcia used her height to prevent her attempt from reaching the top shelf, sending the Eagles onto the next round.
In regulation, the Duhawks were the first to find the scoring column as Savannah Johnson netted her 18th goal of the season in the 25th minute. Loras held a 1-0 at the halftime break despite the Eagles leading 7-5 in shots and 5-2 in shots on goal.
In the second half, Emory was able to find the equalizer in the 66th minute. Nimmer sent a long cross into the box, finding classmate Emily Woodall who used her head to deflect the pass into the back of the net. The goal was Woodall's seventh of the season, matching her personal best for goals in a season.
Across the 20 minutes of overtime, both teams were even with three shots apiece. Loras had the lone shot on goal in the first overtime period with Nimmer recording the Eagles' only shot on goal in the extra periods as she put one on frame in the 109th minute.
The Eagles have advanced to the national quarterfinals just twice previously in program history, doing so back in 2010 and 2012. Emory will be looking for its second-ever trip to the Final Four on Sunday.
