GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. -- Freshman Sophie Aschemeier (Findlay, Ohio / Liberty-Benton) played a perfect game in net through 110 minutes, before turning aside three penalty kicks to give the Trine University women's soccer team their first ever berth in the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) Women's Soccer Tournament Final.
The Thunder defense spent the entirety of regulation under near constant fire from the top-seeded Calvin University's offense, but led by Ascchemeier they were up to the task keeping the opposition off the board. The Knights tallied 26 shots with seven coming goal during regulation. Freshman Teresa Ashbrook (Dewitt, Mich. / Dewitt) gave the first spark of offense to the team in the 62nd minute when she broke through the Calvin defense and forced action from their keeper.
Overtime saw the same strategy out of the Thunder, but the Knights started to show signs of fatigue which Trine turned into a few more scoring opportunities. The team spent more time in the offensive zone and finished both overtimes with three shots with one coming on goal. Calvin, however, continued to dominate the offensive possession time tallying 11 more shots three coming on goal during the same period.
Through it all however the defense held firm and the second overtime would finish 0-0 with the teams set to faceoff with penalty kicks to decide the advancing team. After a failed shot from the Thunder, the Knights converted their first attempt to take a 1-0 lead.
Junior Hannah Murry (Shelbyville, Ind. / Shelbyville) took the second attempt for Trine and confused the keeper and put the ball into the back of the net tying the score at 1-1. Aschemeier kept the score the same with a diving save to her left.
Sophomore Lia Franzone (Lancaster, N.Y. / Lancaster) gave the Thunder their first lead of any kind in the contest, by converting her attempt in the third spot making the score 2-1 in favor of the Thunder. Aschemeier made another diving attempt, this time to her right, but the ball deflected off of her into the open net to knot the score at 2-2.
Ashbrook, the team's lone selection to first team All-MIAA, easily scored her attempt in the fourth spot. She froze the Calvin keeper with a shot to the bottom right portion of the net. Aschemeier gave the Thunder, what would be her final and most crucial save, turning aside the fourth attempt from the opposition to give the team a 3-2 lead heading into the final attempts.
Despite a missed opportunity from the Thunder in the fifth round of penalty kicks, the pressure got to the Knights and their final attempt would go wide left, sealing Trine's first trip to the MIAA Tournament Final.
In addition to the two crucial penalty kick saves, Aschemeier finished the night with ten saves, a season and career high.
Trine will travel to face Hope College in the MIAA Tournament Final on Saturday, Nov. 6. Kickoff for the event is scheduled for noon.
