HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. --- Getting a pair of goals from sophomore Chelsea McCarty, the No. 21 Bellarmine University women's soccer team defeated the No. 25 Wisconsin-Parkside Rangers 2-1 in overtime on Friday night in the Great Lakes Valley Conference tournament semifinals.

Avenging a 1-0 loss to Wisconsin-Parkside earlier in the year, Bellarmine (15-2-2, 12-2-1 GLVC) now advances to the GLVC Tournament Championship on Sunday for the second time in school history. The 15 wins is also a new school record, beating the previous mark set in 2009 and 2006.

The teams battled back and forth in the scoreless opening period as the defenses were stout for both teams as neither team could get into much offensive flow. Bellarmine went into the break with just two shots to Parkside's one.

McCarty broke the scoreless tie in the 58th minute as she took the ball on a counter attack at midfield and lifted a shot over UWP keeper Cassie Glodowski from 22 yards out to take the lead 1-0.

The Rangers fired back just seven minutes later as Natalie Brown headed home a shot to even the score at 1-1 after BU keeper Amy Kunowski was knocked down trying to corral the cross. Not rattled, Kunowski regrouped and make a huge save on in the 66th minute to keep the game locked up at one.

Again the defenses took over down the stretch, as neither team could connect again in regulation, sending the game into extra time. It took just an extra 34 seconds for the Knights to end the game as freshman McKenzie Combs beat two defenders down the side of the field and sent a perfect cross toward McCarty, who hammered home the golden goal, sending the Bellarmine bench into celebration.

Head Coach Jonathan Velotta thought his defense gave them the chance to win the game, “The longer the game went on, the better we felt our chances were,” he said. “In the earlier matchup Shannon Becker ran all over us, but tonight I think we did a great job matching up with her.”

The Quincy University Hawks await the Knight in the championship game. The Hawks advanced on penalty kicks 5-3 after a scoreless tie with the No. 10 Northern Kentucky Norse. Bellarmine beat the Hawks in the regular season matchup 2-1 on Oct. 16 in Quincy, Ill.

“I think this is a great matchup for the Championship,” said Velotta. “I think Quincy and Bellarmine are mirror images of each other, and it should be an outstanding game. We are looking forward to it.”

Bellarmine and Quincy will battle it out for the championship at 1 p.m. on Sunday afternoon in Highland Heights, Ky.

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