MADISON, WISC. - The Madison College women's soccer team wanted to leave little chance of their 2019 Region IV Division III Tournament Semifinal match against Elgin Community College going down to the wire, into overtime, or even to penalty kicks Saturday at Irwin A. & Robert D. Goodman Pitch-East. The #2 WolfPack did just that with a pair of goals in the first 20 minutes of the game to defeat the #3 Spartans, and advance to play in the region championship for a third consecutive season. The win also moved the 'Pack to 6-1-1 all-time against Elgin CC, while improving upon a 1-1 draw the team played to on the same field in September and pushing their postseason mark to 2-0 in the head-to-head series after winning by forfeit in the same round one year prior.

In a statistically competitive match, the home team showed early they were the better team. Sophomore Jenna Kohrt came up with a steal in the defensive third and played it ahead to freshman Mackenzie Bielicki, who tapped it right back to Kohrt as she charged inside the penalty area. Kohrt kicked a laser past the Spartans goalkeeper that sailed inside the near right post for a 1-0 lead in the 12'. The midfielder from of Monona, Wisconsin, now boasts two postseason goals as part of ten on the season.



Five minutes later, the duo worked in tandem again as Kohrt looped a pass through traffic that was deflected and tracked down by Bielicki. The first year defender/forward then dribbled around some passing players, wrapped a shot off the out-stretched hands of the 'keeper, and bounced her fifth goal of the year into the net.



The 2-0 lead was held up by the WolfPack defense and sophomore goalkeeper Kelly Kubicek. The Oregon, Wisconsin, native made six saves to earn her 16th career shutout and eighth of the season. She now sits tied with her own mark from 2018 and assistant coach Brandie Gospodarek's mark from 2017 for the program's single season record.

Madison College finished with a narrow 12-10 advantage in total shots and a 7-6 lead in shots on goal. Elgin Community College (10-4-1) attempted four more corner kicks. Freshman Lydia Webster was tops on the 'Pack with four total shots, while Bielicki and Kohrt each had two shots on goal.

Up Next:

Madison College (11-3-2) will travel to play #1-seed Rock Valley College (13-2) for the Region IV Division III Championship on Wednesday, October 30. The two teams are ranked #9 and #10 in the final NJCAA Division III Poll after sharing the North Central Community College Conference championship in 2019 when they split their regular season series, which included a 2-1 WolfPack win in Rockford, Illinois, on September 18. The Golden Eagles victory in Madison snapped a five-match unbeaten streak for the 'Pack, who trail the all-time series by a 7-4-1 tally. Wednesday's match will mark the first meeting in postseason play since the two programs began their rivalry in 2014. Kickoff is at 2:00 p.m. with the winner advancing to the NJCAA Great Lakes District Tournament on November 2-3 at the site of the Region XIII winner.



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