DECORAH, Iowa — The Lawrence University women's soccer team captured its fifth Midwest Conference Tournament championship in program history Saturday, defeating Luther College 1-0 to earn a berth in the NCAA Division III Tournament.
The title is the Vikings' second in the last three seasons. Lawrence completed its tournament run with two road victories and did not allow a goal.
After a scoreless first half, Kate Noonan broke through in the 58th minute, converting a penalty kick at 57:09 to put Lawrence in front.
First-year goalkeeper Bee Brockert recorded her second consecutive clean sheet, while the Lawrence defense protected the lead over the final 33 minutes to secure the championship.
The victory reflected the resilience of a team determined to prove itself after the preseason poll results.
"I am so insanely proud of the resilience of this team to bounce back and prove to the whole Midwest Conference that we're the best team in the conference!" said Izzy Robertson.
Saturday's win also gave the Vikings' senior class an opportunity to extend its season and compete together on the national stage.
"Today was such a special opportunity for us seniors. This game had our careers on the line, and being able to come together, compete, and get the win as a team made it even more meaningful," said Ava Elders. "I'm so excited and grateful to get to play another game in the NCAA tournament and continue to represent Lawrence. There's no better feeling than wins like today and I'm so glad I get to share them with this team."
Hannah Kalt shared that appreciation for the team and the work behind its championship run.
"I feel so honored to have had the opportunity to win not only once, but twice, with such an amazing group of girls. I will cherish these memories forever and I have such a tremendous amount of respect for the work everyone has put in," Kalt said.
Head coach Joe Sagar praised the team's collective effort and its performance throughout the tournament.
"This is an incredible achievement by these players. To go on the road and win two games without conceding a goal is an amazing accomplishment. We all felt we had something to prove after the pre-season poll results were released. It was a group effort and we are all proud of the way we played," Sagar said. "We will enjoy tonight. On Monday we will start our preparations for the NCAA championship. It's a great day to be a Viking!"
Lawrence will learn its NCAA Tournament opponent and destination during Monday's selection show, scheduled for 11:30 a.m. Eastern. The NCAA Division III Tournament begins Saturday, Nov. 14.
