LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Junior defender Lexy Hazle did something that she's never done before. And as a result, so did the Bellarmine University women's soccer team.

On Saturday at Owsley B. Frazier Stadium in the Midwest Region semifinals of the Division II NCAA Tournament, Hazle posted her first collegiate goal by drilling a shot from approximately 40 yards out to secure a 1-0 victory over third-seeded Truman State and send the second-seeded Knights to their first-ever berth in the Sweet 16.

In addition to Bellarmine's unprecedented run in the NCAA Tournament, the No. 14 Knights set a new program record with their 17th overall victory.

"It's been great," Hazle said. "I think all year we've pushed ourselves and had really good chemistry. We knew this group was something special. We're looking to keep it going."



Bellarmine (17-2-2) will meet the winner of Sunday's contest between top-seeded Grand Valley State and fourth-seeded Quincy in the Midwest Region finals on Nov. 20 at a Central Region site.

Saturday's clash between Bellarmine and No. 23 Truman State (15-3-5) pitted the Great Lakes Valley Conference regular season champion Knights against the GLVC Tournament title-winning Bulldogs. In hindsight, falling in the GLVC Tournament semifinals may have benefitted BU. The Knights still managed to secure the NCAA Midwest Region's No. 2 seed and a subsequent first-round bye, while the Bulldogs ultimately played three matches in seven days after also competing in the conference finals and the NCAA quarterfinals.

"Truman is a great team and it was another back-and-forth game, just like we thought," BU Coach Chris Tinius said. "I think the extra minutes on their legs was an advantage for us, but we said in the pregame that it's only an advantage if we make them work. Credit our kids for making them work the whole time."

While Hazle was a prolific goal scorer in high school, recording a whopping 28 scores as a senior at Elizabethtown (Ky.) High, she shifted to the defensive side of the ball at Bellarmine and has become a standout goal stopper, earning All-GLVC honors this season. Although she had yet to score a collegiate goal, Hazle is afforded the occasional opportunity to attempt a shot.

One such chance arose Saturday less than two minutes into the second half. The ball was cleared out to a waiting Hazle, who was shaded toward the left side of the field roughly 40 yards away from the goal. She was all alone.

"My first reaction was to see who was open," Hazle said. "I looked around, and I saw the goal."

So she went after it, unloading a rocket into the upper left corner of the net that eluded the outstretched arms of Truman State goalkeeper Katie Mattingly for a 1-0 lead in the 47th minute.

"I took a touch and ripped it," Hazle said. "I've taken shots in practices and I've taken shots in games, but it couldn't have come at a better time."

Since it was Hazle's first goal at Bellarmine, you could say it was surprising. Of course, you could also argue she was simply due.

"She can strike a ball," Tinius said. "Usually she'll be serving the ball on the left flank, but she's had a couple chances like that this year. We had a lot of possession but hadn't tested their keeper yet. We talked about getting some stuff on frame and trying to get our build-up to result in some chances. I didn't really expect the first one to come from an outside back taking the shot and it going in. If you didn't know she was an outside back and you just watched it come off her foot, you wouldn't know any different."

Bellarmine's defense withstood every push from Truman State. Most impressive is that the Knights didn't allow a shot over the final 16 minutes, locking down on the Bulldogs for their 15th shutout of the season. TSU's best chances came in the first half, but junior goalkeeper Hannah Poteet made a sensational diving save and both she and sophomore goalie Taylor Smith notched two saves apiece before halftime.

After the break, Truman State attempted five shots but none were on frame. Overall, both teams accumulated 10 shots, with four apiece coming on goal. Senior defender Brandi Schwartz zipped a shot that caromed off the post, and junior midfielder Lauren Holder was a little right on a promising strike as the Knights asserted themselves early in the second half.

"We talked at halftime about showing that we were the fresher team," Hazle said. "We had fresher legs and needed to be more dominant in the second half."

As a result of doing just that, the Knights sealed their unprecedented place in the Sweet 16, adding yet another layer of history to their season.

"We'll look back when we get done," Tinius said. "We've talked about it like a workout: At some point, you're going to hit a wall, but you're always trying to squeeze out one more rep."

For more coverage of Bellarmine athletics, follow us on Twitter (@BUKnights), Instagram (BUKnights) and Facebook (BUKnights).

BOX SCORE (HTM)