Panthers Reach Peak, SLIAC Champs

After coming up short in five previous appearances in the St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference championship game, Greenville University finally reached the peak and claimed the 2022 Women's Soccer title. The Panthers defeated Westminster College 1-0 in the championship game for the program's first-ever conference championship and earned a trip to the NCAA Division III National Tournament. 

Greenville, who entered the tournament as the #3 seed, came into the tournament on a roll with three straight wins to end the regular season; which snapped a season-long three-game skid. The Panthers then won three tournament games, extending its winning streak to its current stretch of six games. In the postseason the Panthers outscored opponents 10-1 with the defense clamping down in particular in Saturday's championship game where they limited Westminster to just seven shots, three on goal. 

Despite a closely played first half, that saw just four combined shots, the Panthers were able to get on the scoreboard for a lead. Nina Torvisco moved the ball along the top of the box before dropping a pass to Jen De Leon De Leon. De Leon De Leon then maneuvered her way through a pair of Blue Jay defenders and buried the shot for her 15th goal of the season. 

Greenville kept the Westminster offense quiet but when the Blue Jays did get in attack position Panther keeper Addison Miller was there. Miller stopped all three shots she faced including a stop at the 65-minute mark that was the Blue Jays' last shot on goal of the game.

With the Panthers' win, it marks the fifth time in the last 11 years a #3 seed has won it all, with the other six titles being won by the #1 seed. Prior to the current run of 11 tournaments, no #3 seed had ever won the title. Greenville becomes the sixth different SLIAc program to win a Women's Soccer championship and the first first-time winner since Westminster won its first in 2015, as a #3 seed.

The 2022 NCAA Women's Soccer National Tournament field will be announced on Monday, November 7 at 1 p.m.

- #SLIACtion -