WARRENSBURG, Mo. – Sydney Leslie netted what proved the be the game-winning goal in the 62nd-minute to help No. 11-ranked and top-seeded Central Missouri Jennies soccer advance to the NCAA-II Central Region Championship Match with a 4-3, comeback win over No. 25-ranked and fourth-seeded Minnesota State Sunday, Nov. 21, at the South Recreation Complex.
The Jennies (19-3-1) advance to their ninth regional title match in program history and will face third-seeded Bemidji State (19-1-3) on Dec. 3 in Allendale, Mich., at GVSU Soccer Field, home of the Midwest Region finalist and No. 1-ranked Grand Valley State Lakers. GVSU will host Saginaw Valley in the Midwest Region Championship match, with the winners of each match advancing to face each other in the NCAA-II National Quarterfinals.
Central Missouri fell behind, 2-0, in the first half after Minnesota State (18-3-2) netted goals in the fifth and 37th minutes.
UCM was able to trim the deficit in half to 2-1 just two minutes before the end of the first period when
Kassie Newsom got on the end of a
Nayeli Gallo pass and slotted it into the back of the net for her team-best 18th goal of the season. The feed from Gallo was her first assist of 2021.
The Mavericks upped their lead to 3-1 after a penalty kick goals three minutes out of halftime.
The Jennies answered, however, and didn't waste anytime equalizing, netting two goals in a span of three minutes to knot the contest, 3-3.
Katelyn Poertner pulled UCM with 3-2 with her second goal of the season from a
Caroline Cole assist in the 48th-minute before
Ashleigh Martin equalized for Central Missouri with a goal off an
Andree Orcutt pass in the 51st-minute. It was Martin's seventh goal of 2021.
The match remained in a 3-3 stalemate for the next 11 minutes until UCM was awarded a free kick off a Minnesota State foul in the 62nd-minute. Leslie belted a strike from 20 yards out into the upper right corner of the net to put the Jennies in front, 4-3. It was her 15th goal of the season.
UCM held the Mavericks to just three shots the final 28 minutes of regulation, securing the 4-3 comeback victory.
With her goal in the match, Newsom set a new Central Missouri single season record for points with 51 (18 goals, 15 assists), surpassing former Jenny standout Jada Scott, who compiled 49 points in both 2017 and 2018.
UCM goalkeeper
Sydney Daris improved to 6-1-0 in-goal after making five saves in 90 minutes.
Minnesota State outshot Central Missouri, 19-17, in the match, but UCM placed 11 of its 17 shots on goal, compared to just eight for the Mavericks.
Allie Williams, Jenny Vetter and Brynn Desens scored the three Minnesota State goals, leading the Mavericks.
MSU goalkeeper Mackenzie Rath took the loss after making seven saves but allowing four goals in her 90 minutes between the pipes.
Â
