Skip To Main Content
Skip To Main Content
3
Winner Keiser University KU (20-2-2)
1
Spring Arbor (Mich.) SAU (20-2-1)
Winner
Keiser University KU
(20-2-2)
3
Final
1
Spring Arbor (Mich.) SAU
(20-2-1)
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Keiser University KU 2 1 3
Spring Arbor (Mich.) SAU 0 1 1

Game Recap: Women's Soccer |

Cougars' run ended by Keiser in national semifinals

ORANGE BEACH, Ala. – A memorable season came to an end on Friday afternoon for the Spring Arbor University women's soccer team as No. 6 Keiser University (Fla.) defeated the No. 2 ranked Cougars 3-1 in the NAIA Women's Soccer National Championship Semifinals from the Orange Beach Sportsplex.

Keiser tallied two goals in the first 11 minutes and Spring Arbor was unable to climb out of the hole, ending the team's quest for its third national title in four years.

The Cougars had three players named to the 2018 NAIA All-Tournament Team, includuing Bethany Balcer, Casandra Besteman and Malorie Henderlong.

 
 

THE BASICS

FINAL SCORE: No. 2 Spring Arbor 1, No. 6 Keiser 3

LOCATION: Orange Beach Sportsplex | Orange Beach, Ala.

RECORDS: Spring Arbor 20-2-1, Keiser 20-2-2

 
 

HOW IT HAPPENED

  • Playing for the third time in five days, top-seeded Spring Arbor took on fourth-seeded Keiser for the right to move on to the tournament finals.
  • Two early goals put Keiser in the driver's seat. The Seahawks got on the scoreboard in the second minute when Maxi Krug scored off a free kick, and, less than 10 minutes later, KU's Matilda Ovenberger forced a turnover deep in SAU's own end and finished on the breakaway.
  • Bethany Balcer nearly cut the deficit in half in the 22nd minute, but her free kick from 30 yards out clanked off the crossbar.
  • Spring Arbor continued to battle throughout the second half and the effort was rewarded with a goal in the 71st minute as Balcer cleaned up a loose ball in front of the net.
  • The Cougars kept the pressure on late and generated multiple scoring chances over the final 15 minutes, but was never able to find the equalizer. The Seahawks would end any hope of a comeback, however, as Filippa Millqvist tapped in a game-sealing goal in the 88th minute.

 
 

BEYOND THE BOX SCORE

  • It was the fourth consecutive trip to the national tournament semifinals for Spring Arbor.
  • The three goals were the most SAU has conceded in game in since the 2015 season.
  • Balcer's goal was her 31st of the season. The senior caps her career with 129 goals, which ranks as the fifth-most all-time in the history of the NAIA.
  • The Spring Arbor senior class will go down as the winningest class in program history, compiling an 89-6-4 record over four years and capturing two national championships.

 
 

STAY CONNECTED: Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | YouTube
DOWNLOAD OUR APPS: iOS (iPhone/iPad) | Android

Print Friendly Version