SPRINGFIELD, Mo.–
Chloe Cash's goal on a penalty kick three minutes into overtime sent Drury into the Great Lakes Valley Conference championship game with a 1-0 win over Missouri S&T in the league semifinals Friday afternoon at Harrison Stadium in Springfield.
The Panthers, seeded second in the tournament, raised their record to 14-4-1 and ended the Miners season at 9-6-3. Missouri S&T was the number six seed on the bracket.
The teams battled to a scoreless draw through 90 minutes of regulation play. Early in overtime, Drury forward
Elsa Gonzalez was forced to the turf in the penalty area, setting up a penalty kick for
Chloe Cash. The senior from Nixa found the lower right corner of the net, just past the outstretched hands of S&T goalkeeper Kristin Steins for the game-winner. The goal was the fourth of the season for Cash.
Both teams had chances to get on the board in regulation. In the 60
th minute, Ally Haslem put a shot on goal that Panthers goalie
Kaitlin Knetzke kept out of the net with a diving save. In the 74
th minute, Gonzalez nearly put Drury on the board with a shot that deflected high off of Steins, who made a leaping save to keep the game scoreless.
The Panthers advance to play Southern Indiana on Sunday at noon in the GLVC Championship at Harrison Stadium. The Screaming Eagles defeated Missouri-St. Louis 1-0 in double-overtime earlier on Friday in the other semifinal to reach the title game.
Drury is in the GLVC championship game for the first time since 2008. The Panthers last won the conference title in 2007. Drury had not made the GLVC tournament at all since 2015, and have rebounded from a winless season in 2018 to play for the league title on Sunday. Game time is at noon at Harrison Stadium.
GLVC Quarterfinals Scores (Nov. 7)
#2 DRURY 2 #7 Lewis 0
#6 Missouri S&T 2 #3 Truman St. 0
#5 Southern Indiana 1 #4 Indianapolis 0
#8 Missouri-St. Louis 1 #1 McKendree 1 (UMSL wins on penalty kicks)
GLVC Semifinals Scores (Nov. 12)
#5 Southern Indiana 1 #8 Missouri-St. Louis 0 (2OT)
#2 DRURY 1 #6 Missouri S&T 0 (OT)
GLVC Championship - Sunday, Nov. 14 – noon – Harrison Stadium
#2 DRURY vs. #5 Southern Indiana
#allweDUiswin