TERRE HAUTE, IND. -- The Rose-Hulman
Institute of Technology women's soccer team earned its first
Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference title with a 1-0 victory
over Transylvania University at Jim Rendel Field on Saturday
afternoon.
The win marks the first time in school history that a Rose-Hulman women�s athletic team or a Rose-Hulman soccer team has advanced to the NCAA Division III Tournament. The conference title is also the first for a Rose-Hulman team since the Engineer men�s basketball squad captured the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference championship in 1999.
The lone Engineer goal came in the 70th minute when freshman Molly Richardson (Orange Park, Fla.) found the back of the net on a double assist by seniors Sarah Graber (Cyprus, Texas) and Jennifer Gordon (Zionsville, Ind.). The goal occurred after the ball deflected off a defender off the foot of Gordon and Graber one touched it on to Richardson, who finished from the inside the box.
Senior Rachel Miller (Spring, Texas) earned her sixth shutout of the season to preserve the Engineer win, tallying five saves on the afternoon. Transylvania senior Ally Tucker kept the Pioneers within striking distance with five saves.
Offensively, Richardson, senior Julie Roebel (Cincinnati, Ohio/Seton) and junior Liz Ridgway (Grosse Pointe, Mich./Northwestern University) paced the Engineers with two shots each. Katie Kelly led the Transylvania offense with three shots.
The victory improves Rose-Hulman to 19-2 on the season. The Engineers return to action in the NCAA Tournament next week. The bracket will be released Monday around 10:00.