Pittsburgh, Pa. – The Washington University in St. Louis women's soccer team ended its season on Sunday evening in the Elite 8. The Bears and Messiah battled to a 2-2 draw through regulation and overtime, sending the game into penalty kicks. Messiah advanced 5-4 on penalty kicks.
 
WashU ends its season 11-5-7 while Messiah improves to 20-1-3 and moves on to the Final Four against Johns Hopkins on December 2.
 
The Bears got on the board first to take a 1-0 lead in the 32^nd minute on a goal from senior Riley Alvarez. After a ball was cleared by a defender, there was a loose ball at the post, which Alvarez corralled and shot into the far side of the net.
 
That lead held through halftime until Messiah's Rachel Tirjan scored in the 56^th minute. Less than four minutes later in the 60^th minute, Julia Martin scored the go-ahead goal for the Falcons on assists from Kenzie Spodnik and Kylie Firestone.
 
With the time ticking down, junior Tyler Wilson netted the tying goal on a pass from Alvarez to make it a 2-2 game. Wilson drilled the ball from the left side of the box for the goal.
 
First-year Grace Ehlert got off one final shot in the 89^th minute, but it was saved by Messiah goalkeeper Ava Wert, sending things into overtime.
 
In the first overtime period, senior Maggie Brett got off a shot in the 94^th minute which was saved by a Messiah defender. That was the lone shot on either side for that period.
 
There was just one shot apiece in the second overtime period.
 
Messiah's Kristina Akselsen put a shot on frame in the 108^th minute, which was saved by junior goalkeeper Sidney Conner.
 
Ehlert sent a shot in with just five seconds remaining on the clock, which was saved by Wert to force a penalty kick round.
 
In the first round, Brett's shot just missed going in, hitting off the post and bouncing out. Messiah's Korinne Kovatch netted her shot to put the Falcon's up 1-0.
 
Junior Anna Viscovich netted her penalty kick in the second round. Tirjan followed that with a score for the Falcons, making it 2-1 in favor of Messiah after two rounds.
 
In the third round, senior Ellie Brauner scored her shot, followed by a make by Messiah's Hannah Adair.
 
First-year Marilee Karinshak scored her ball in the fourth round and Martin netted hers for Messiah, giving the Falcons a 4-3 lead heading into the fifth round.
 
First-year Olivia Foster netted her shot to keep the Bears alive, by Akselsen sealed the deal for the Falcons to make it 5-4.
 
WashU outshot Messiah 14-10 with an 8-7 advantage in shots on goal. The Bears also registered five corner kicks to the Falcons' 5-3.
Conner made five saves on the day, including one just 52 seconds in on a Tirjan shot. Conner stopped a Tahlia Lloyd shot in the 39^th minute and a shot from Brianna Seip in the 55^th minute. She saved another shot from Tirjan in the 67^th minute and Akselen's shot in the 108^th minute.