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DALLAS -- It took 110 minutes plus penalty kicks, but the University of Cincinnati women's soccer team won its first conference championship and booked its first NCAA Tournament bid since 2002.
Showing a resiliency that has defined their season, the Bearcats rallied from a 1-0 deficit thanks to an 88th minute equalizer from Jaycie Brown (Wellington, Ohio/Magnificat). The teams then played through a pair of overtime periods for the 1-1 draw, with Cincinnati collecting the hardware and automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament thanks to a 4-2 win on penalties.
The shootout had dramatics of its own, as head coach Neil Stafford went to Kaleigh Piscioneri (Avon, Ohio/Magnificat) at keeper, with the freshman making a save in the effort, while Kelly Latimer (Lake Forest, Calif./El Toro) clinched it for the Bearcats with a goal in the fifth round.
// GOAL SCORING SUMMARY
60' - USF Olivia Chance (Trudi Carter)
Carter played the ball forward to Chance who sent a strike from just off the left side of the box off the cross bar and in.
88' - CIN Jaycie Brown (Cassie Wheldon)
Wheldon (Waterloo, Canada/Bluevale) played a through-ball to Brown at the top of the box, drawing out USF keeper Kat Elliott. Brown then flicked it over the keeper before it deflected down off the cross bar and in.
// PENALTY SUMMARY
First Round
Both teams converted, with Julie Gavorski (Madison, Ohio/Madison) scoring first for UC and Leticia Skeete finding the net for USF.
Second Round
Wheldon, who assisted on Brown's game-winning goal, scored on her attempt while USF's Trudi Carter saw her shot saved by Piscioneri.
Third Round
Kelsey Parrinello (Westland, Mich./Livonia Churchill) saw her shot saved, while USF's Grace Adams converted to tie things back up at 2-2.
Fourth Round
UC's leading scorer, Danielle Rotheram (Toronto, Ontario/Holy Trinity Catholic) scored to spot UC to a 3-2 lead while USF's Aj Blount sent it off the post.
Fifth Round
With a 3-2 lead entering the fifth round, all the Bearcats needed was a score and Latimer took care of business to seal the deal.
// BROWN, GILLES EARN OUTSTANDING PLAYER HONORS
Cincinnati swept the Outstanding Player awards for the 2015 American Athletic Conference Women's Soccer Championship. Brown was named the Most Outstanding Offensive Player after scoring twice in the tournament, while Vanessa Gilles (Ottawa, Canada/Louis Riel) was named Most Outstanding Defensive Player. Gilles scored the game-winning goal in the semifinals over UConn.
The duo was joined on the All-Tournament team by Gavorski and Rotheram. USF's Chance, Skeete and Jackie Simpson also were selected to the All-Tournament team along with UConn's Rachel Hill and Stephanie Ribeiro and Ashely Spivey and Vera Varis from UCF.
// MATCH NOTES
- Cincinnati participated in penalty kicks for the second time in program history and first since 1997, when they won a Conference USA semifinal match with UAB on penalties after playing to a 2-2 draw. The Bearcats went on to defeat Marquette in the C-USA title match and Georgia State in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
- In three matches at this year's conference championship, UC scored a total of six goals with five coming in the second half or later.
- Of those five second-half or later scores, four came past the 79th minute (all three goals in a 3-2, overtime victory over UConn in the semifinals prior to today's equalizer).
Cincinnati last won a conference title in 2002, winning the Conference USA Tournament championship to advance to the NCAA Tournament. It was also UC's last NCAA bid.
- The Bearcats have out-scored opponents in the second half, 25-10, this season.
// UP NEXT
With an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament locked up, the Bearcats will learn their destination on Monday, Nov. 9. The selection show is set for 4:30 p.m. ET and can be seen live on NCAA.com.