Box Score

Grantham, PA – When Skidmore junior Rebecca Russo's penalty kick offering hit the back of the net, her teammates rushed onto the field in celebration of the Thoroughbreds' NCAA Division III Women's Soccer Championships First Round victory.

The score, Skidmore's third in four attempts, propelled Skidmore into the Second Round via a shootout victory as MIT went 0-3 on their penalty kick attempts.

The win dropped MIT (14-3-4) out of the NCAA Championships.

“We've been practicing (penalty kicks) all week,” said Russo, a midfielder from Belmont, Massachusetts. “We're excited to be going to the next round. We've been fortunate to get to this point, and it feels great.”

Skidmore advances in the NCAA tournament for the first time in program history. It was also the team's third 0-0 overtime tie in NCAA tournament play.

After 110 minutes of soccer on Saturday, neither team held an advantage on the scoreboard. Skidmore (14-6) held a 20-15 edge in shots taken throughout the regulation and overtime periods, with MIT keeper Meghan Wright and Skidmore keeper Meghan Sleezer making nine and eight saves, respectively. Each keeper made a save on their opponent's first shot in the shootout.

“We've been in some tough battles this year, so we're used to digging it out in the end,” said Skidmore head coach Lacey Largeteau. “It's great for the seniors and our program.”

With the win, Skimore advances to the Second Round to face Messiah College on Sunday, November 13. Messiah defeated Elms College earlier in the day on Saturday by the score of 10-0. Game time for Sunday is 1:00 p.m.

“We've focused on being healthy going into this weekend,” said Largeteau, whose team advances to the Second Round for the first time in school history. “We wanted to have the right mentality for these big games, and we're excited to have another game tomorrow.”