No. 16 Women’s Soccer Tops Monmouth in Penalty Kicks, Advances to NCAA Second Round

Saturday, November 16

Providence, RI

12:30 PM

Brown University

14-1-3

Monmouth University

14-2-3

Monmouth

Brown

No. 16 Women’s Soccer Tops Monmouth in Penalty Kicks, Advances to NCAA Second Round

11/16/2019 6:20:00 PM | Women's Soccer

Box Score Full Results Packet Photo Gallery

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Junior goalkeeper Kayla Thompson made six saves in regulation then stopped two shots in the penalty kick shootout as No. 16 Brown University women's soccer topped Monmouth University in penalty kicks, 4-1, to advance to the second round of the 2019 NCAA Division I Women's Soccer Championship.

In a matchup featuring the top two teams in the nation in fewest goals allowed, the Bears (14-1-3, No. 10 RPI) and Hawks (14-2-3, No. 44 RPI) played to a 0-0 draw through double overtime before the hosts converted four straight penalty kicks and denied the visitors on two of their three attempts on Saturday afternoon at Stevenson-Pincince Field in the first round of the NCAA tournament.

"Sometimes in postseason it does come down to the last minute," Brown head coach Kia McNeill said. "Our team showed a lot of composure with the PKs at the end there. It is something that we trained on throughout the week and throughout the season. I was really impressed with the way Kayla played throughout the 90 minutes and then her making those great saves in the PKs to keep our team in it. We're happy to be going on to the second round."

Making their first NCAA appearance since 1994 after winning their first Ivy League title in 25 years, the Bears posted their 13^th shutout of the season – tying the Ivy League record – against a Hawks team that made its fourth straight NCAA appearance and led the nation in fewest goals allowed (four). The Bears ended a 13-game win streak for Monmouth.

"Today you could see some of the nerves from our team," McNeill said. "Now everyone has seen what an NCAA game is like – the energy, the enthusiasm, and the intensity. Hopefully going into the second round we'll be able to better settle in having experienced that."

Brown will meet No. 1 seed Florida State in the NCAA second round on Friday, Nov. 22 at 5:00 p.m. (ACC Network Extra).

A transfer student-athlete from West Virginia University, Thompson (Austin, Texas) made six saves in regulation for her ninth shutout of the year, tied for third in a single season at Brown. She then stopped the Hawks' second and third penalty kick attempts to send Brown to the NCAA second round.

"The biggest thing I've learned is that when postseason comes, it's just another game," Thompson said. "You have to just show up every day and do your job. I learned that from watching players at West Virginia. It was a lot of good experience to see what that tournament feel looks like and bringing that here. The energy that we brought to the field today was unparalleled. The team was so excited to play, and we stepped up."

Following 110 minutes of scoreless play, senior Abby Carchio (Lakeville, Mass.) approached the penalty spot first and buried a shot into the left side of the net as Monmouth goalkeeper Amanda Knaub moved in the opposite direction.

After the Hawks' Jess Johnson tied the shootout at 1-1, senior Celia Story (Bainbridge Island, Wash.) pushed the Bears ahead 2-1 as she slotted a shot inside the left post, freezing Knaub.

Thompson then made the first of her two saves in the shootout, extending to her right and denying the bid from Lauren Karabin with both hands.

Freshman Ava Seelenfreund (Truckee, Calif.) pushed Brown's advantage to 3-1, knocking a shot into the right side of the goal as Knaub moved in the other direction.

Thompson answered the call again on the next shot, diving to her left and extending her right hand to stymie the attempt from Sarina Jones.

"The biggest thing is confidence and trusting your gut," Thompson said. "That's what Andre Reis – our goalkeeper coach – is always saying to me when I'm stepping out into those situations. Trust what you know and go strong whichever way you decide to go."

With Thompson's second save, freshman Brittany Raphino (Randolph, Mass.) moved to the spot with the opportunity to send Brown to the second round. After taking a moment to collect herself, she directed a shot into the right side of the goal past the fingertips of Knaub, giving Brown a 4-1 shootout win.

The Bears back four of junior center backs Sydney Cummings (Millstone Township, N.J.) and Cameron Brown (Portsmouth, Va.), sophomore Lauren Hinton (Middletown, Conn.), and freshman Rachyl Francisco (San Jose, Calif.) made a massive contribution in the Bears' 13^th shutout of the year. The group acts as part of a defensive unit that entered the match ranked second in the NCAA in goals allowed (six) and third in save percentage and GAA.

"Having Sydney and Cam back there is a lot of calm in the storm," Thompson said. "The three of us are always checking in with each other and encouraging each other along with the outside backs. That dynamic is what keeps us all with level heads."

All four defenders in addition to defensive midfielder Sara Bermudez (South San Francisco, Calif.) and Raphino went the full 110 minutes against the Hawks. Cummings has played all 1,700 minutes on the season and in 4,723 of a possible 4,742 minutes (99.6 percent) in her career while helping the Bears post 24 shutouts in the past three years.

Thompson made multiple critical saves, including a full extension stop of a header from Dana Scheriff in the 44^th minute and a save of a shot from Johnson following a corner kick in the 53^rd minute.

"Big-time players show up in big-time moments," McNeill said. "We've known that about Kayla from day one. She's a gamer. She's professional in her approach not only on game day but in every training session and every video session. For her this is just another day in the office. She thrives in pressure situations. She's very calming. She's a great presence back there."

For the match, Monmouth held advantages in shots (19-10), shots on goal (6-4), and corner kicks (10-6). Knaub finished the match with four saves in her 15^th shutout of the season and 45^th clean sheet of her career.

The Bears remained unbeaten at home in 2019 with an 11-0-1 record and have posted a 14-0-1 mark in their last 15 home matches. Brown holds a record of 12-0-2 record in its last 14 home non-conference contests.

Brown maintained a +26 goal differential on the year. The Bears have finished the season with a goal differential of +25 or better five times in program history with the last such season coming in 1986.

Brown moved to 8-0-2 in its last 10 matches and to 7-0-2 in the months of October and November. The Bears now stand at 2-6-1 all-time in NCAA tournament competition.

"When you have an entire school basically behind you, that doesn't go unnoticed," Cummings said. "It makes an impact to see that packed stadium and see that support. When we have people come up to us on the street and say to us 'good luck, good luck' – we put so much work into what we do and to have people supporting us along the way is incredible. It can't be unnoticed."

Video of all Brown women's soccer home contests and all Ivy League games, home and away, will be broadcast live on ESPN+.

Tickets for all Brown women's soccer games can be purchased online, by calling the Brown Athletics Ticket Office at (401) 863-2773, or by walking up to the box office located in the Pizzitola Sports Center, open Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Gallery: (11/16/2019) Women's Soccer 2019 NCAA First Round