In Elite Eight, 11th-ranked UW-La Crosse loses heartbreaker against No. 2 team in nation
ST. LOUIS, Mo. — Up against the second-ranked team in the nation, in the Elite Eight of the Division III playoffs, the 11th-ranked UW-La Crosse women’s soccer team had the lead with 1 minute remaining in double-overtime, but gave up the tying goal.
That tie resulted in a shootout, where the Eagles made 4 of 5 goals, but Washington (St. Louis) went 5-for-5 and advanced to the Final Four.
UW-L took a late lead with back-to-back goals within a minute of each other, including the go-ahead in the 94th minute, when Chelsea Gale scored on an assists by Maggie Hernandez.
Washington, however, came back and tied the game at the 108:59 mark.
The Eagles finished their season 20-1-2 — one shy of tying last year’s school record for wins in a season.
This was UW-L’s seventh playoff appearance (2015, 2017, 2018, 2021, 2022, 2023) in school history.
TOP PHOTO: FILE – UW-La Crosse’s Ellie Arndt kicks the ball during a women’s soccer match on Nov. 12, 2023 (PHOTO: Jim Lund, UW-L)