FARGO, N.D. -- Fifth-seeded Oral Roberts advanced to the 2024 Summit League Women's Soccer Championship match with a 5-3 penalty shootout win over top-seeded North Dakota State in Thursday's second semifinal at Decotah Field. It was a defensive battle that ended in a 0-0 draw after 110 minutes.
The Golden Eagles only mustered six shots in the double-overtime contest, but buried all five of their penalty kicks in the shootout that saw Carson Arne make the capper past a diving Payton Mulberry in goal for the Bison.
Alexa Riefer had seen the first three Bison deliver on their penalty kick attempts before she saved the attempt by Offensive Player of the Year Morgan Russman to give ORU its first advantage and set up Arne's clincher.
NDSU played the opening 45 minutes with the wind advantage and held an 8-1 edge in shots but could not put one away as the teams went scoreless into the break. Russman had a clean look late in the first half but her attempt went just over the crossbar.
The Bison held a 5-4 advantage on shots in the second half but it was ORU, who put two on frame that were stopped by Payton Mulberry.
Neither team got a shot off in the first overtime period and the Bison had two looks in the second overtime but this match seemed destined for penalty kicks throughout.
The Golden Eagles will play No. 3 seed South Dakota State in Sunday's title game at 1 p.m. CT.
Turning Point
- Riefer turned away the fourth penalty attempt by NDSU freshman Russman and Arne buried the Golden Eagles' fifth straight attempt to win the penalty shootout.
Inside the box score
- The Bison held a 15-6 advantage in shots but the teams only combined to put three shots on goal (Bison 2-1).
- Riefer posted her second shutout of the postseason, stopping NDSU's only shot attempt on goal.
- Both teams had three corner kicks in the match with ORU having the only one in extra time.
News & Notes
- ORU had won the previous two postseason meetings, defeating NDSU by the score of 2-0 in the 2016 semifinals and 2022 quarterfinals.
- This marks the first time since the field expanded to six teams in 2022 that the No. 5 seed will appear in the title game.
- This is the third time NDSU has been the No. 1 seed at the tournament and the Bison are now 1-2-1 when holding the top spot.
- This is the second overtime match of the 2024 Championship. South Dakota State defeated South Dakota 2-1 in double-overtime in a quarterfinal tilt. At least one match has gone into extra time in each of the last four postseason tournaments.
- The Golden Eagles will play in their ninth tournament title match and own a 2-3-3 record in those contests and hoisted their two trophies in 1999 and 2004. ORU made the title game last in 2022 where they fell in a penalty shootout to Omaha.
#SummitWSOC
