WESTMINSTER, Md. - The McDaniel College women's soccer team battled Franklin & Marshall to a 1-1 tie, but the Diplomats advanced to the conference tournament semifinals on penalty kicks, 4-2, at the Soccer Complex Tuesday.
Despite not advancing, the Green Terror (9-3-6), who were hosting a home game in the Centennial Conference Women's Soccer Championship for the fourth time in the last five years, remained unbeaten in eight out of nine home games this season.
In addition, eight of the last nine meetings between McDaniel and Franklin & Marshall, including three consecutive, have resulted in a tie. The two teams battled to a scoreless tie at the Soccer Complex earlier this season on October 7.
Sophomore
Alaina Miller scored her team-leading eighth goal of the season in the 22nd minute off an assist from first-year
Hariette Ngwatung. It marked the sixth time that the team's top two leading scorers connected on a goal this season. Miller has eight goals and 20 points while Ngwatung has seven goals and 19 points.
The goal was the first allowed in the series between the two teams in a span of 117:54. It was also the first between the two teams in Westminster in a span of 117:19.
The one-goal lead would last until the 39th minute when Emily Cook tied the game with her first goal of the season off a centering feed from Kyra Magerko.
The game was tied at 1-1 at the half despite the visitors holding a 12-4 advantage in shots and a 4-1 edge in corner kicks.
Neither team would find the back of the net for the game's final 71:37 through the second half and two, 10-minute overtime periods. The Diplomats finished with a 22-10 advantage in shots, but could not find the game-winner as sophomore
Sierra Ruehl had a career-high 10 saves, including five in the first half.
With the Diplomats (8-4-4) holding a 3-1 lead in the shootout, senior
Peyton Viggiano scored in the top of the fourth round to keep the Green Terror alive before Liz King scored in the bottom of the fourth to send the visitors to the semifinals at Johns Hopkins on Friday.
McDaniel will await selections for the 2026 ECAC Division III Women's Soccer Championship to see who, when, and where it will play next.
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