BLACK MOUNTAIN, N.C.— After advancing to the Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) Tournament as the No. 4 seed, the Montreat women's soccer team hosted No. 5 seed Columbia International University at Pulliam Stadium Saturday afternoon to square off for a spot in the semifinals on Tuesday. Following a 1-1 score at the end of regulation, the game moved to overtime and the Cavs' season finished with a 2-1 final in the Rams' favor.
 
The match began with both teams showing high energy and making strong starts. The Cavaliers had strong attempts to score, but JJ Aalbue's two opportunities were unsuccessful. However, the Rams managed to score, making the score 1-0 in the 12^th minute.  
 
Despite the setback, the Cavaliers continued their intense defense, leading to a corner kick and a successful takeaway by Annika Comendador, who passed the ball to JJ Aalbue, resulting in a goal that tied the score 1-1. This happened with only 12 minutes left on the clock in the first half. At the end of the first half, the Cavs had a lead in shots (10-6).
 
In the second half, both teams showed competitive greatness as they demonstrated impressive defensive skills, trying to avoid going into overtime. Despite the Cavaliers having control of the match during the final minutes, many shots were taken (19-10), but none could make it past the CIU keeper and into the net. As time ticked away, neither team could break the tie, which led to overtime.
 
With 20 extra minutes added to the game and 10-minute halves added to the clock, both teams continued to apply pressure. In the 96^th minute, the CIU Rams saw an opportunity and took a shot from afar, successfully scoring into the right corner of the goal, updating the score to 2-1. At the end of the first overtime, the Cavaliers were unable to recover from playing two full halves, going without a shot attempt for the first 10 minutes.
 
The Cavs were given another short break as the second overtime period would be their last chance to add to the scoreboard and force penalty kicks. Despite JJ Aalbue and Sam Aalbue creating several opportunities, they couldn't level the score as the final minutes ticked down.
 
"We had a great season. I'm really proud of this senior class as they put Montreat women's soccer back on the map," mentioned head coach Kristin Eggert.
 
Montreat, who outshot the Rams 21-12 on the day, put 11 shots on goal compared to CIU's five. Logan White finished with three saves, while the Rams' goalie kept her team in the match with nine. With the defeat, women's soccer concluded its 2023 campaign with an 11-6-0 record.