Box Score

CLEVELAND, Tenn. – The Union University women's soccer team fell 4-0 to Lee University in the semifinals of the National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA) MidEast Region Tournament. The loss ends Union season at 7-7-3. Lee advances to the region title game with a 13-3-1 record.
 
Last season, Union advanced to the same spot last season before ending their season in the NCCAA MidEast Region Semifinal match.
 
This match was a rematch between to Gulf South Conference schools, with Lee also taking the regular season conference meeting 4-0. Both matches were played in Cleveland.
 
The Flames had several opportunities in the first half to seize the game with a goal, but Union goalkeeper Emily Waggoner was stout in goal. Waggoner recorded three saves in the beginning half. Lee took nine shots in the half, while Union had only two, the first two of the contest. The opening shot delivered by Rachael Boswell came from inside the goal box at 13:26 but was high. Sara Johnson put a shot on goal from the left wing that was saved by Lee goalkeeper Haley Gribler. Lee received three corner kick chances, all in the final ten minutes of the half. Two of the Lee shots off corner kicks went wide right, while one flew over the crossbar.
 
The Flames began the second half in a flurry. A pair of Lee corner kicks in the first two minutes yielded solely a header from Laura Thacker that went wide left of the intended target. Ode Fulutudilu from Lee had a shot at 49:40 from the left wing that was wide right. Dionna Linn took a blast at 57:14 for Union, which was blocked.
 
In a span of 15:14 Lee scored broke open a scoreless tie with four quick goals.. A strike from Fulutudilu at 62:41 off a pass from Kinsey Cichowitz put Lee in front 1-0. Lee went up 2-0 after Kaela Leskovar finished a pass from Fulutudilu in the 68th minute. In the 74th minute Summer Lanter converted a Fulutudilu delivery into a shot that resulted in a 3-0 margin. A blast by Debbie Rogers at 77:55 gave Lee a 4-0 lead.
 
For the contest Lee outshot Union 21-3. Eleven of those 21 shots by Lee were on goal. Lee had seven corner kicks in the match. None of the Lee goals were a result of a corner kick. Waggoner grabbed seven saves for Union.  
 
This season marks the final year (provisional year) of the NCAA DII membership process. If Union is approved by the NCAA this coming summer to advance to full membership, Union will be playing next season as a full member of the NCAA DII and Gulf South Conference with opportunities to advance to GSC and NCAA DII postseason tournaments.
 
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