Mustangs Host York (Pa.) in CAC Semifinals Wednesday
OWINGS MILLS, Md. - The Stevenson women's soccer team continues its quest for its second conference championship and its third appearance in the NCAA Division III Women's Soccer Championship when its hosts York (Pa.) on Wednesday at Caves Athletics Complex in the semifinals of the CAC Women's Soccer Championship at 2:00 p.m.
The Mustangs' only previous conference championship came in 2005 as a member of the North Eastern Athletic Conference when they beat Cazenovia in the tournament title game 3-0 on November 5.
The following year, Stevenson won the regular season championship before losing to SUNY Purchase in the finals, 1-0.
Wednesday will mark Stevenson's first appearance in the CAC semifinals in three seasons in the CAC. The team lost 2-0 at York (Pa.) in the first round in 2007 and were edged on penalty kicks by Hood a year ago.
With 13 wins this season, the Mustangs are two shy of tying the school record set by the 2006 squad that advanced to the NCAA tournament despite losing in the NEAC championship game.
The 2000 women's soccer team that finished 12-8 was the first in school history to advance to the NCAA postseason, advancing to the Southeast Region final before losing to Salisbury 2-0.
After achieving the program's first-ever ranking on September 22 at No. 9 in the NSCAA South Atlantic Region poll and moving up to No. 8 last Tuesday, Stevenson received its first-ever NCAA ranking when it was ranked at No. 8 in the second NCAA South Atlantic Region poll released last Wednesday.
The Mustangs enter Wednesday's game having won a school record nine-straight following a 3-2 non-conference victory over Goucher at home last Tuesday in their regular season finale. Sophomore Stephanie Eyler (Thurmont/Catoctin) added two more goals to her CAC-leading total and now has 17 this season, five shy of her conference single-season record of 22 last year.
Junior Heather Redding (Street/North Harford) added three points against the Gophers with a goal and an assist.
In the previous meeting between both teams just 14 days ago on October 21, Stevenson scored three first half goals and led 3-0 at halftime en route to a 4-1 victory.
All three Mustang goals in the opening half came in the first 28 minutes, beginning with Eyler's unassisted tally in the 15th. Junior Allison Humphries (Bel Air/John Carroll) would score the eventual game-winner with her second of the season off a pass from senior Lauren Bauer (Baltimore/Bel Air) in the 22nd minute before Eyler added her third just over five minutes later at 27:09.
York outshot Stevenson 13-3 in the second half and netted its lone goal in the first two minutes of the second half as Kat Sipes scored unassisted at 46:51.
Mustang freshman Lauren Weitzman (Wesminster/Winters Mill) totaled three of her five saves in the second half and freshman Melinda Kane (Baltimore/Mercy) added her eighth goal of the season in the 68th minute for insurance as Stevenson handed the Spartans their only conference loss of the season.
