QUINCY, Ill. — You could start an endless debate about whether the Bellarmine University women's soccer team played better on the offensive or defensive ends in the opening round of the DII NCAA Tournament.
On Thursday at Quincy's Legends Stadium, sixth-seeded Bellarmine piled up a season high in goals and emphatically knocked third-seeded and 20th-rated Ohio Valley from the ranks of the unbeaten with a 3-0 triumph in the NCAA Midwest Region quarterfinals.
"I'm very proud and happy for our players," Bellarmine Coach
Chris Tinius said. "Except for a 10-minute stretch to start the second half, we were very disciplined once again. We also showed that it is possible to be organized and attack at the same time. We were much more composed in the final third today."
Bellarmine will meet second-seeded Quincy at 1 p.m. (ET) Saturday at Legends Stadium in the Midwest Region semifinals.
Junior midfielder
Audrey Van Der Elst bracketed a pair of goals around a score by freshman midfielder
Samantha Ferry as the Knights (8-3-7) exceeded two goals for the first time this season. Not only did Bellarmine end Ohio Valley's undefeated run, the Knights dealt the Fighting Scots (16-1-3) their first shutout of the season.
The match appeared to have all the makings of a clash between Bellarmine's ruthlessly stingy defense and Ohio Valley's electrifying offense. The Knights entered carrying the second-best goals-against average in the nation, while the Fighting Scots owned the seventh-best scoring offense at over three goals per game.
But it was Bellarmine's stunning explosion on offense that stole the show.
The Knights arrived in the contest on a three-game scoreless streak. That string of frustration and futility ended in the 18th minute when Van Der Elst made a run down the left side of the box and fired a shot into the upper left corner of the net for a 1-0 lead.
The score remained the same at halftime. In the 63rd minute, Bellarmine charged ahead in transition and Ferry found herself wide open on the right side. She slotted a low shot past the goalkeeper and into the net for her team-best fifth goal of the season and a 2-0 advantage. Sophomore forward
Olivia Taylor assisted on the play.
The Knights reached a season high in goals in the 67th minute. Van Der Elst broke away and was one-on-one with the goalkeeper. She made a deft cut to her right to elude the oncoming keeper and calmly poked a shot into the open net for a 3-0 lead. Van Der Elst's two goals bumped her season total to four. Bellarmine's goal production tied a program record for NCAA Tournament games, as the Knights earned a 3-0 win over Rockhurst in 2011.
"Obviously, Audrey was big in getting two goals, and I thought all of our attacking players were more purposeful," Tinius said. "Little things like the run Chewy (junior midfielder
Jordan Chlebowy) made to peel the defender away on the first goal were the final piece that we've been lacking."
Bellarmine's defense delivered a vintage performance. The Knights recorded their eighth straight shutout, and senior goalkeeper
Taylor Smith boosted her single-season program record to 13 behind six saves.
Bellarmine did a superb job capitalizing on its chances, sinking three of its eight shots. Ohio Valley finished with 10 shots, including seven on goal. The Fighting Scots didn't tally a shot in the first half.
Bellarmine lost 1-0 in overtime to Quincy in the regular season. The teams played to a scoreless tie in the GLVC Tournament semifinals, but the Hawks advanced after winning a penalty kick shootout 5-3.
"We need the next 48 hours to recover for what will be a very tough test on Saturday against Quincy," Tinius said.
For more coverage of Bellarmine athletics, follow us on Twitter (@BUKnights), Instagram (BUKnights), Facebook (BUKnights) and the BUKnights mobile app available for iPhone and Android.
BOX SCORE (HTM)
