Bees fall to No. 9 Aquinas in NAIA Tournament
| Final | 1 | 2 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
St. Ambrose (IA) (15-5-0) | 1 | 0 | 1 |
|
#9 Aquinas (MI) (16-0-4) | 2 | 1 | 3 |
St. Ambrose matched No. 9 Aquinas shot-for-shot in their NAIA Women's Soccer Tournament second-round match Saturday in Grand Rapids, Mich. But a pair of second-half goals proved to be the difference as the Bees saw their season come to a close in a 3-1 loss.
Kaitlyn Brunson scored SAU's only goal, that coming midway through the first half to tie the match at 1-1. Grace Kuchar was credited with the assist. But less than five minutes later, Aquinas scored what proved to be the game-winner.
The Saints added an insurance goal in the opening minutes of the second half. The Bees never let up, attempting 11 of their 14 shots in the second half. Aquinas also finished with 14 shots. Taylor DeSplinter led St. Ambrose with five shots total, and Grace Kuchar also recorded a shot on goal.
Rachel Willette came up with five saves for St. Ambrose.
Along with stopping a program-record 12-match winning streak, the loss wraps up a season that saw the team win CCAC regular-season and tournament championships. It was SAU's first appearance in the national tournament since 2021.
Aquinas will advance with 15 other teams to the tournament's final site in Foley, Ala.