WINTER PARK, Fla. (November 11, 2024) - Women's soccer survived a near upset in the most dramatic of fashions, earning an advancement in the SSC tournament following a 5-4 penalty kick shootout win over Lynn. The Tars now stand at 8-4-3 on the year.

Rollins was gifted the opening goal just three minutes into the game when a Lizzie Hill cross was kicked straight into the Lynn net by a Knight defender, making it 1-0. 

The Knights would answer back shortly as Juliana Torres found Kira Adkins for a quick strike in the eighth minute to tie the game. 

Hill would make an impact once more in the first half in the 25th minute. She controlled the ball around a couple of defenders, and dropped back to create space. Then, from roughly 25 yards out, she unleashed a high shot that hit the bottom of the crossbar and dropped the ball just a few inches past the goal line, giving Rollins the 2-1 lead. 

The final goal in regulation came from Torres, who ripped an absolute missile into the left side of the net that bounced off a diving Lauren Mehos and found the net in the 68th minute. 

The two teams would play a pair of ten-minute overtime periods, but nothing came of it, leading to a penalty kick shootout. 

Kayla Park and Saga Jontoft each nailed their first attempt, but the Tars found themselves in a hole when Briyah Drayton had her shot saved by Brooke Auth. Each side made their next two attempts, including tries from Peyton Massie and Hill on the Tars' side.

Round four for the Knights saw Isabella Batista send her shot way wide to the right, giving the Tars a glimmer of hope. Freshman Emma Griner stepped up in the biggest of stages, smoking a ball into the top of the net to tie the shootout. After Lynn answered back, Val Acevedo delivered for Rollins, going low left to take the lead. That set the stage for Torres, but her shot hit the crossbar and bounced harmlessly away, giving Rollins the win. 

The Tars advance to the semifinals of the SSC tournament, and will host the #3 Nova Southeastern Sharks on Thursday, November 14th at Cahall-Sandspur Field. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:00 pm, and will happen after the men's game, which starts at 4:30.