HAMILTON – Colgate women's soccer and Loyola played to a 0-0 draw here Tuesday night but the Greyhounds' were just barely able to outlast the Raiders 4-3 in penalty kicks.
 
With the clock winding down and the score still knotted at 0-0, the penalty kick decider was looming. After the final whistle blew both teams gathered their five kickers and we were ready for a showdown.
 
The Raiders won the toss and decided to kick first. Colgate had its first attempt saved. Loyola then stepped up and converted on its first chance. Emily Crichlow was Colgate's second shooter and she blasted it right past the Loyola goalie to tie the score at 1-1. Erin Cummings then came up huge for the Raiders with a save on the Greyhounds' second shot.
 
The Raiders unfortunately had their third shot saved, and Loyola jumped back in front 2-1 on a made attempt. Lexi Panepinto converted on her kick to again knot the score but another good penalty from the Greyhound shifted them back on top, 3-2. Sidney Parodie was Colgate's final kicker and she fired home an attempt into the right-hand corner of the net to pull the Raiders even at 3-3. The recently announced Patriot League Player of the Year, Rosy Hayes, was the Greyhounds last kicker. The senior was able to just slide one past Cummings, lifting her team into the conference semifinals.
 
The final score read: Colgate 0, Loyola 0, with the hosts advancing 4-3 on penalty kicks.
 
The outcome sparked heartbreak for nine senior players in Cummings, Taryn Tomczyk, Lauren D'Amico, Jenna Raepple, Catherine Williams, Corey Persson, Lexi Panepinto, Parodie, and Jenna Panepinto. Despite ending their final season in the Maroon and White prematurely, these special student-athletes have a lot to be proud of, including a 2012 Patriot League title and a 2014 Patriot League Regular Season title.
 
In the opening period of play the Raiders held the majority of scoring chances.
 
Williams nearly put Colgate ahead in the 29th minute when she fired an attempt from inside the 18-yard box off an Emily Pullen corner kick. Her shot, however, sailed just high over the crossbar.
 
With less than four minutes to play in the half, Colgate and Loyola got tangled up and both teams received yellow cards. Unfortunately, this was the Raiders' second individual yellow card in the game, forcing Colgate to play down a player for the remainder of the match. 
 
Early in the second period, Pullen and Williams teamed up yet again off a corner kick but this time Loyola's keeper Colleen Folan came up with a solid stop on a Williams' volley.
 
In the 78th minute, Lexi Panepinto almost put Colgate in front on a driven shot from inside the box. After Sarah Coy had beaten her defender on the right wing, she sent over a prefect cross to the back post. Panepinto collected the ball, beat a defender, and riffled a shot on target. Her attempt though was blocked at the last second, right before it could sail into the opposite upper-90.
 
Despite some more chances from the Raiders in the final minutes of regulation the game was forced into an extra period.
 
Overtime
The first overtime was the Cummings show as she single-handedly kept the Raiders alive with two brilliant stops.
 
The first one came with 3:35 remaining on the clock. Loyola's Hayes found herself free in the center of the box. She tried to head a crossed ball past Cummings, but the Ashburn, Virginia, native got her hand on the ball to push it up and over the crossbar.
 
She second goal-saving stop came in the final minute and half. Again Cummings was up against Hayes and again she stiffed her before the senior could finish it home. This time her save was a diving stop on a potential breakaway.
 
The clock wound down to zeros and the match was headed for a second overtime
 
Double Overtime
Colgate had some good opportunities on frame but weren't able to put them away. The best chance of the period came from Loyola when Riley Piechnick tried to poke the ball into the back of the net. Her shot managed to get past Cumming but Williams came out of nowhere to kick the ball off the goal line, keeping the Raiders' alive.
 
Penalty Kicks
The Raiders tried to repeat their 2013 quarterfinal victory, in which they defeated Bucknell 5-4 on penalty kicks but ultimately the win went to the hosts.
 
Colgate closes out its season with an overall record of 6-9-3, finishing with a 4-4-1 Patriot League mark.
 
BOTTOM LINE
• Colgate 0, Loyola 0 – 2OT
• Greyhounds advance 4-3 on penalty kicks

WON-LOST RECORDS
• Loyola (6-9-2) moves onto the Patriot League Semifinals on Friday against top-seeded Boston University.
• Colgate finishes its 2015 campaign with an overall record of 6-9-3.

KEY RAIDER INFO
• Cummings was a brick for the Raiders in between the post, compiling three key saves.
• Crichlow, Lexi Panepinto and Parodie all converted on penalty kicks.
• Williams launched a team-high three shots throughout the match.

FACTS & FIGURES
• The Greyhounds slightly outshot the Raiders 12-10 but Colgate held the edge on shots on goal at 6-4.
• Corner kicks were swayed in favor of the hosts, 6-4.
• Cummings finished with three stops, while Williams was awarded with a team save. Loyola's Folan posted six saves.
• Loyola was issued a yellow card. Colgate was given a red.  
 
FROM THE SOURCE
• Colgate Head Coach Kathy Brawn: (On her overall thoughts from the game) "I'm just incredibly proud of the game our players played, especially in the first half after going down a player. They really dug deep, pulled together and never gave up. That was impressive all the way through. Its not often you walk off a field with this kind of a result and have any good feeling about it. I know the players won't for a while but knowing that they have that kind of intestinal fortitude really means that they can just accomplish anything. We'll keep our heads held high, try to heal some wounds, recover and be ready for next year."
 
(On the brilliant performance of senior goalkeeper Erin Cummings) "Erin was just stellar tonight. She's had a great season. She's stepped into the starting role and been a leader out on the field. You can see that these players played for her and not just with her. She came up huge some many times tonight, even after taking some hits in a pretty physical battle. She didn't let up a rebound, she was solid, her voice was heard out there, it was really a great way to -- I was hoping it wouldn't be the cap off to her career -- but what a great way to cap off a career with that performance."
 
(On what this senior class has meant over the last four years) "They've done some much for our program. I really credit them for being able to get this season turned around like they did. They knew and know what it takes to win a Patriot League Championship. As coaches we were saying 'we have to keep working' and 'stay true to our goals' but unless you have the buy in from your seniors it's not going to happen. This group has come through time-after-time over their four years. They've been leaders and great soccer players. They've really helped create a terrific culture on our team of being dedicated and hard working both in the classroom and on the soccer field. I can't say enough good things about them."