MADISON, WISC. - The result of the Wednesday's 1-1 draw with Joliet Junior College didn't seem like much of a cause for celebration, however, the tie at Irwin A. & Robert D. Goodman Pitch-East clinched the North Central Community College Conference championship for the Madison College women's soccer team. The WolfPack, ranked #8 in the latest NJCAA Division III Poll, shared the league crown with the Wolves in 2017 for the first championship in program history, and will repeat as solo champs this fall.

The heavily anticipated match did not start the way Madison College intended. Playing into a torrential downpour for most of the first half, the WolfPack surrendered an early goal. Not long after a Joliet Junior College (10-2-1, 7-1-1) corner kick, the ball pinballed in front goalkeeper Kelly Kubicek before finding its way into the net with the match not even five minutes old. 

Still trailing as the second half began, Madison College applied some pressure to the Wolves defense and earned a corner kick in the 52'. Sophomore Peyton Trapino put the ball in play right in front of the near post, and allowing fellow second year Esther Noriega to charge it for a header past the JJC 'keeper. The equalizer from the New Glarus, Wisconsin, native was her seventh goal on the year, while Trapino improved her season assist total to 23, one shy of the national lead.

Both teams had chances to net a potential game-winning goal, but were unable to convert. Through the final 58-plus minutes of game action, including a pair of overtimes, Joliet attempted a dozen shots to Madison's four. Kubicek, a product of Oregon HS, made seven total saves, and despite allowing a goal in back-to-back games for the first time all season, ranks third nationally in goals against average at 0.58.

Madison College is 9-2-1 all-time against Joliet, including 1-0-1 this season after earning a 1-0 OT victory on the Wolves home pitch earlier this season. That gives the WolfPack the tiebreaker over JJC if the two teams finished tied after their final conference games on Friday night. Head coach Matt Schwartz and the 'Pack become the first team to repeat as N4C champs in women's soccer since the College of DuPage accomplished the feat in 2015 and 2016.



Up Next:

Madison College (10-1-1, 8-0-1) will finish the regular season and attempt to close out and undefeated N4C campaign when they host Triton College (1-7-2, 1-6-1) on Friday. The WolfPack is 7-1-2 in the head-to-head series with the Trojans, including a 7-0 road win earlier this fall. Kickoff at Irwin A. & Robert D. Goodman Pitch-East is at 4:00 p.m. Prior to kickoff, the team will honor its six second year players with a Sophomore Night presentation.

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