2014 SLIAC Women's Soccer Tournament Preview
This week's 2014 St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Women's Soccer Tournament will feature the four programs that have had the most post-season tournament appearances in SLIAC history; Fontbonne University, Principia College, Webster University, and Westminster College.
The 2014
Tournament
This year's tournament will feature #1 seed Webster against #4
seed Westminster and #2 seed Fontbonne against #3 seed Principia.
The semifinals will be held on Wednesday, November 5 with the
championship game on Friday, November 7. Fontbonne and Principia
will play at 4 p.m. at Gay Field on the campus of Fontbonne
University while Webster and Westminster will kick off at 6 p.m. at
Soccer Park in Fenton, Mo. The championship game will be held at
the highest remaining seeds host site at 7 p.m.
Tournament Tidbits
- Fontbonne is making their 13th all-time appearance in the SLIAC Tournament.
- Fontbonne is 5-11 all-time in the tournament with one title (1996).
- Fontbonne went 1-1-1 against the tournament field this year.
- Principia is making their conference best 19th trip.
- Principia is 25-7-3 all-time in the tournament and has won nine titles, the last coming in 2011.
- Principia was 1-2 against this year's tournament field.
- Webster will be making their 11th trip, all consecutive.
- Webster is 11-4-3 all-time in the tournament with six titles, including the last two.
- Webster is 3-0 against the tournament field this year.
- Westminster is making their 12th appearance, first since 2006.
- Westminster is 2-9-3 all-time in the tournament.
- Westminster is 0-2-1 against this year's tournament field.
- Webster defeated Principia 4-1 in the championship game last year.
- Only once has a seed lower than #2 won the tournament; in 2012 #3 Webster won the title.
#1 Webster University Gorloks
Webster finished the 2014 regular season with a 12-4-3 overall
record and finished undefeated in SLIAC play for the second
consecutive year with a perfect 9-0 record. The Gorloks have won 25
consecutive SLIAC contests, regular season and tournament combined.
The Gorloks come into the game with an eight game winning streak
and lead the SLIAC in goals scored with 65. Webster has had 17
players score at least one goal this season, including six players
with five or more goals. Kayla Dye paces the offense with a team
leading 10 goals and nine assists and was one of three players in
the SLIAC to rank in the top five in both goals and assists this
season. Kristin Montgomery and Brianna Pagan each added eight goals
while Lindsey Adshade led the conference in assists with 11. Due to
injuries the Gorloks were forced to split time in goal. However
there was no drop-off in net between senior Jessica Davis and
freshman Rachael Ainsworth. Davis is the program's career leader in
shutouts and finished the year with 16 saves in 805 minutes and is
currently on a 405-minute scoreless streak in net. Ainsworth
meanwhile recorded 25 saves in 920-minutes of action this year.
#2 Fontbonne University Griffins
Fontbonne went 15-3-2 overall this season with a 7-1-1 record in
the SLIAC. Fontbonne, who was picked fifth in the SLIAC Preseason
poll, has put together a historic season this year. Their 15 wins
tied the program record for wins in a season, set in 1996.
Fontbonne comes into the tournament looking to get back into the
win column after recording a tie and loss in their last two
outings. The Griffins are built around a strong defense that
allowed the league's fewest goals this year at 12. Along with their
strong defense Fontbonne finished second in the league in scoring
with 50 goals. The duo of Kelly Hobbs and Ashlynn Reiter lead the
Griffin attack. Hobbs finished with 10 goals and seven assists
while Reiter added nine goals. Paige Pfankuch has been a play maker
from her position as a defender recording a team high nine assists.
In net Tayler Pulvirenti has put together a standout season
recording a 0.68 goals-against average in nearly 1600 minutes of
play with 47 saves and a conference best nine shutouts.
#3 Principia College Panthers
Principia was 7-9-1 overall and 6-2-1 in the SLIAC this year and
bring the second longest active winning streak in the SLIAC into
the tournament at four games. The Panthers closed out the year with
wins over Blackburn, Westminster, Spalding, and Iowa Wesleyan;
holding off Westminster and Spalding in the tournament chase.
Principia was fourth in the conference in scoring with 45 goals.
They have a balanced attack with four players with at least six
goals. Gabriela Martin leads the team with nine goals while Tanya
Marquardt has netted seven goals. Emelie Fredirkson and Kenzie
Keller have each scored six goals for the Panthers this year. The
Panthers are young in net and have split time between sophomore
Genevieve Smith and freshman Kara Johnson. Smith recorded 38 saves
while allowing 17 goals in over 800-minutes of play while Johnson
recorded 39 saves and allowed 15 goals in over 700-minutes.
#4 Westminster College Blue Jays
Westminster finished the regular season 8-6-2 overall and 5-2-2 in
the SLIAC. The Blue Jays ranked just seventh in the league in
scoring (26 goals) and eight in goals allowed (24 goals).
Westminster was picked sixth in the preseason poll but secured a
spot in the tournament with a late season win over Spalding and a
tie against Fontbonne. Monica Bittner and Tayisah Pohtos tied for
the team lead in goals with seven while Eileen Koppy added five
goals. In net the Blue Jays feature sophomore Ellen Woolsey.
Woolsey held a 1.56 goals-against average, recording 65 saves and
six shutouts in just under 1400-minutes of action.
