Box Score ORANGE BEACH, Ala. – In a historic season where program records were shattered, a conference championship was won, and a team from Lakeland garnered attention on the national stage, the No. 10 Southeastern University women's soccer team bowed out of the NAIA Women's Soccer National Tournament to the No. 5 William Carey University Lady Crusaders 2-0. The twelfth-seeded Fire fell to the fifth-seeded Lady Crusaders in the tournament quarterfinals.
The Fire and the Lady Crusaders battled back and forth for possession in the first half. Both teams earned five shots and two on frame a piece in the first 45 minutes of play.
Senior goalkeeper Kaitlyn Romero made a pair of saves, including a remarkable deflection late in the half to keep the match scoreless going into the half.
William Carey broke through in the 47
th minute on a goal scored by Alex Musial, assisted on a long ball by Sabrina Carter. Carter scored herself off a free kick in the 54
th minute to put the Lady Crusaders up 2-0.
Down a pair of scores, the Fire battled with heart and determination down the stretch of the second half, creating two scoring chances in the box for Uchenna Kanu and Konya Plummer that just missed the back of the net.
With the love and support of their teammates and coaching staff, the Fire's special 2017 run came to an end in Orange Beach as the clock ticked down to zero.
"It's always disappointing when your season ends, but I am extremely proud of these women and how hard they have worked to put together a historic season. I am thankful to serve as their coach," shared Head Coach
Randy Belli.
The Fire hold their heads high, knowing the many ways this year's squad etched their names into the record books. Southeastern won its first Sun Conference Tournament championship, turned in the most wins in program history (19), and won its first Opening Round and Round of 16 matches in program history. Kanu netted the most individual single season goals in program history, and the fourth most in NAIA history (45).
More than those things, the Fire take solace in knowing they are a team that has displayed love and support for one another throughout this season, and created a culture of family and success in the program that is sure to carry over into the seasons to come.
