In a thrilling and hard-fought battle, the Holy Cross College Women’s Soccer team advanced to the semifinals of the CCAC Playoffs after securing a victory in an intense penalty shootout against St. Xavier University. The Saints came from behind to tie the game in the second half, then held their nerve through a tense double overtime, ultimately winning the shootout 3-1.
The match was a tale of two halves. The first 45 minutes saw both teams battle fiercely, but neither could break through—leading to a scoreless halftime. It set the stage for an explosive second half that would leave fans on the edge of their seats.
The Saints came out firing after their week long break, and the action began in the 70th minute when Holy Cross was awarded a penalty kick. Sophomore striker Miriam Iturriaga-Sanchez, with ice in her veins, stepped up to take the shot. She first hit the cross bar, followed her shot and calmly slotted the ball past the St. Xavier keeper to give Holy Cross a 1-0 lead.
But St. Xavier wasn’t about to go down without a fight. The Cougars responded swiftly, finding the back of the net just minutes later to equalize in the 72nd minute. Less than 30 seconds later, Holy Cross fired back. A pass from Cameron Fallacara found the head of Mia Garatoni, who powered it home to put the Saints back on top 2-1 at the 73:29 mark.
Just when it seemed like Holy Cross had regained control, St. Xavier struck again, scoring their second goal in the 84th minute to make it 2-2. Only 2 minutes later, St. Xavier recived another goal, but the Saints weren’t done yet. In the 86th minute, the Saints earned a corner kick, and Avery Peters sent a perfectly placed ball into the box. Cameron Fallacara met it with precision, heading the ball past the keeper to give Holy Cross a 3-3 lead with just minutes remaining in regular time.
With both teams exhausted but determined, the match went into a scoreless double overtime period. Neither side was able to find a winner, which meant the game would be decided in a dramatic penalty shootout.
That’s when freshman goalkeeper Madeleine Agee turned into the hero for the Saints. Agee was a wall in the shootout, saving two of St. Xavier’s penalty kicks, including a crucial stop on their final attempt. The second St. Xavier shot clanged off the crossbar, leaving the door wide open for the Saints.
With the pressure mounting, Holy Cross kept their composure. First up, Avery Peters, hit the cross bar, then Iturriaga-Sanchez stepped up and converted her penalty with ease. Next, Fallacara made her shot, followed by Arianna Barreras, who sealed the deal with a cool finish.
The Saints erupted in celebration as Agee’s incredible performance and their perfect execution in the shootout secured a 3-1 victory in penalties, sending Holy Cross to the CCAC semifinals.
Next Time Out
The Saints’ next match will be a semifinal showdown against St. Ambrose on Saturday November 9th, kickoff is set for 4PM EST