WCU women’s soccer reaches Sweet 16 on penalty kicks

Survive and Advance is a phrase often uttered in the NCAA Tournament, and that is exactly what West Chester (16-3-2) did Sunday winning, 0-0 (5-4 pn penalty kicks) over Notre Dame College (Ohio).

With the game tied at the end of the second overtime the game went to penalties to determine a winner. Heading into PKs, goalkeeper McKenna Mullin gave way to Brooke Myers, who handled the seven rounds of kicks. Notre Dame jumped out to an early 2-0 lead in the PKs but the Golden Rams remained focused as they began their comeback in the third round when Myers made a big save and senior captain Kaitlyn McFadden buried a PK to make the score 2-1 at the end of the third round. West Chester and Notre Dame traded goals in the fourth round as Shannon Cooley found the back of the net to keep West Chester alive. Another big save by Myers was followed when Mandy McCarthy converted her opportunity to send the penalty kicks to a sixth round.

In the sixth round, Unionville grad Hannah Grandell kept the Golden Rams alive following a successful Notre Dame penalty kick, sending the game to a seventh round. In the seventh round Myers made a huge save and put the game on the foot of Kaitlyn McFadden, who was taking her first career PK as a Golden Ram. McFadden capitalized on this opportunity as she struck the ball cleanly, sending it soaring into the upper right hand corner of the net and sending West Chester through to the next round and the Golden Ram faithful into a frenzy.

“First time ever taking a PK for the team and it was a crazy feeling” McFadden said. “I also have to give props to our goalie [Myers] who played a big role in bringing us back.”

Coach Betty Ann Kempf Townsley said “… it (the game) came down to the wire and we had multiple opportunities to score through the game. I am so proud that this team kept fighting, working together and believing in one another.”

Women’s Basketball

WEST CHESTER 97, GLENVILLE STATE 84 » Coming off a convincing 95-64 victory over Livingstone College Saturday, WCU returned to the Schwartz Center on Sunday afternoon to host Glenville State College on the final day of the Carol Eckman Memorial Tournament on the campus of Widener University, and came out with a perfect 2-0 start.

Glenville’s unique defensive sets and constant substitutions caused fits for West Chester early in the matchup and when the first half buzzer sounded, the game was knotted at 52 all through the first 20 minutes. Entering the second half, West Chester coach Kiera Wooden called upon her talented group of seniors to right the ship and they did more than deliver, as the unit — led by 17 second-half points by senior Porscha Speller — banded together to account for 36 of the Golden Rams’ 45 points over the final 20 minutes. With the seniors leading the charge, West Chester managed to break away from the Pioneers in the second half to end the tournament with a 2-0 record.