SALEM, Va. – The No. 1 Washington University in St. Louis women's soccer team is headed back to the National Championship game after advancing past No. 4 Chicago in a thrilling 10-9 penalty kick shootout on Thursday evening.
 
It marks the third-straight year the Bears will appear in the title match. They will face UAA foe No. 2 Emory for a chance at back-to-back national titles.
 
Chicago took an early 1-0 lead just 7:37 in as Annabel Edwards took a pass from Lucy Harrison-Caldwell and found the back of the net.
 
It took until the 67^th minute but the Bears scored the equalizer at the 66:13 mark. A long ball from first-year Monica Morales-Martinez hit the crossbar and senior Ella Koleno was there to finish it off for a 1-1 game. It marks Koleno's ninth goal of the season.
 
As the regulation clock ticked down, neither team could score the go-ahead goal, resulting in overtime. After two 10-minute overtime periods, the Bears and Maroons headed to a penalty kick shootout to determine which team would advance to the title game. The shootout would end up going 14 rounds before a winner was determined.
 
Chicago's Avery Gallucci put the Maroon's ahead 1-0 after the first round. Junior Sophie Viscovich put her penalty kick in to even the score and sophomore goalkeeper Kassidy Lanthier stopped Harrison-Caldwell's shot for a tied shootout after two rounds.
 
Chicago took a 2-1 lead on a Mary Stuart Kerrigan make. Junior Jadyn Aling tied things up with a made PK, and the Maroons went up again with a make from Indira Naylor.
 
Junior Keira Smyser netted her penalty kick and Chicago's Greer Reineke missed hers, making it a 3-3 tie.
 
Sophomore Olivia Clemons followed with a make and Chicago's Kamiryn Braxton Grimes evened things up at 4-4.
 
First-year Annika Park made the next penalty kick for the Bears, followed by a Maroons' make from Tahra Minowada for a 5-5 shootout score.
 
After two missed penalty kicks, senior Kaci Karl put in her kick and Chicago's Anne Thomann followed with a make for the Maroons.
 
Senior Grace Ehlert put in her kick and Chicago's Cate Brown evened it at 7-7. Morales-Martinez stepped up again for her second attempt of the day, netting the ball for a 8-7 edge. Gallucci also made her second attempt for Chicago, evening things at 8-8.
 
The Bears and Maroons both missed the next round of PKs and sophomore Cami Colpitts followed with a make. Kerrigan made her shot for Chicago for another even score.
 
Aling made her second penalty kick of the game and Lanthier made a huge save on Naylor's shot, advancing the Bears 10-9 to the title game.
 
Statistically, in regulation and overtime, the Bears out-shot Chicago 22-11 with a 9-3 edge in shots on goal. WashU also had a 5-2 advantage in corner kicks.
 
Colpitts registered eight shots on the day with two on goal while Morales-Martinez had four with two on goal. Clemons and Ehlert each had two shots with one on goal.
 
In the net, Lanthier made two saves in regulation to earn her 14^th win of the year.
 
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