#5 Megan Frkovic

#5 Megan Frkovic

Senior Megan Frkovic scored in the 50th minute, and the Truman women’s soccer team dominated play throughout much of the night to open the 2015 NCAA Div. II tournament with a 1-0 win against Cedarville (Ohio) on Thursday night.

The Bulldogs (15-2-5), who were making the 11th NCAA postseason in school history, out-shot CU (13-5-4) 7-2 in the opening 45 minutes. Then, after weathering a brief Yellow Jacket swarm at the start of the second half, the purple and white earned a corner kick just four minutes into the half. Frkovic sent a ball into the box, which was returned out to her just off the end line. She then floated a ball towards the goal, which carried just enough to go over the out-stretched hands of the CU keeper and in to give Truman a 1-0 lead.

Much of possession in the second half was played in the Bulldogs’ attacking third of the field; however, the Bulldogs couldn’t find an insurance goal, despite out-shooting the Jackets 7-1 in the second half. CU put together one last effort in the final three minutes – earning its only two corner kicks of the night – but the Bulldogs held off any tying effort and advanced to the NCAA tournament’s second round.

For the game, Truman out-shot CU, 14-3 (7-2 on goal), and took eight corner kicks to the Jackets’ two. Senior midfielder Alexis Heffernan took a game-high five shots, putting three on goal, while junior forward Stephanie Williams took four. Sophomore Katie Mattingly recorded her 12th shutout of the year, making two saves aginst a Cedarville offense that had scored 76 goals on the season entering Thursday night’s match.

The Bulldogs advance to face the second-seeded Knights of Bellarmine, who come into the tournament at 16-2-2 overall. BU defeated Truman, 1-0, in overtime in Louisville during the teams’ only meeting this year.

The MIAA Regular Season and Tournament Champion Jennies Soccer team earned the No. 1 seed for the NCAA-II Central Region Soccer Tournament as announced by the NCAA on Monday evening.

As the No. 1 seed the Jennies will host one half of the Central Regional on Friday, Nov. 13 and Sunday, Nov. 15 in Warrensburg. UCM will host fourth-seeded Minot State and the No. 5 seed Winona State. Those two teams will play in Warrensburg on Friday at 1 p.m. with the winner advancing to face the Jennies on Sunday at noon at Jennies Field at the South Recreation Complex.

The Jennies are making their sixth straight NCAA Tournament appearance and their ninth appearance overall.

UMSL travels to Allendale, Mich., to begin play in the 2015 NCAA Tournament. The Tritons are the five seed in the Midwest Region and will face four-seed Quincy on Friday at 7 p.m. (EST). The winner advances to Sunday’s second round against host and top-seeded Grand Valley State, the two-time defending national champion.