Women's soccer falls in PKs to UC Irvine in Second Round of NCAA Tournament

Friday, November 18

Tuscaloosa, Ala.

4 PM ET / 3 PM CT

Brown University

13-2-3, 5-0-1

UC Irvine

11-5-7, 3-2-5

UC Irvine

Brown

Women's soccer falls in PKs to UC Irvine in Second Round of NCAA Tournament

11/18/2022 8:07:00 PM | Women's Soccer

Box Score

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – The Brown women's soccer team fell to UC Irvine in penalty kicks 4-2 after tying the Anteaters in regulation 1-1 in the Second Round of the NCAA Tournament.

After Irvine scored with 27 seconds remaining in the first half, Brown battled back to tie things up in the second on a Brittany Raphino penalty kick in the 67^th minute. After regulation ended tied at one, the two sides played two 10-minute overtime periods. Things would remain tied after OT and penalty kicks ensued.

"Our motto all season has been about 'handle hard better,'" head coach Kia McNeill said. "I think after going down one-nothing in the latter half of the first half, we had to refocus and readjust at halftime. I think we did that. We came out with great focus and great energy in the second half to tie the game.

"I think we had our chances to put the game away in the end there, but credit to UCI's goalkeeper. I thought she played really well and really kept them in the game.

"Nothing can take away from the season that we had this year. I thought the team had a tremendous season from start to finish. Even tonight, they left everything on the field and I couldn't be more proud of them as a coach."

Brown dominated the first 45 minutes from the start. The Bears had four shots within the first eight minutes, including two on goal by Raphino.

Through 30 minutes of action, Brown had taken 10 shots, putting three on goal, to Irvine's zero.

The Anteaters started to connect a few passes and held some possession on the Bears' half of the field, but the only two shots they managed in the first 44 minutes wouldn't go on frame.

With 30 seconds remaining in the half, a Bears chance just outside of the 18-yard box turned into a counter attack down the right flank for the Anteaters after an Irvine defender cleared the ball away. An Anteater forward was the first to it and got a shot off that found the back of the net. Irvine would take the 1-0 lead into halftime.

Brown continued to pressure the Irvine back line in the second half and was rewarded in the 67^th minute. Raphino drew a foul inside the box and the ref awarded a penalty kick.

Raphino stepped up and deposited the ball into the bottom right corner to tie the game at one.

Shots were even in the second half for both sides at five, as regulation ended with things locked at one.

The Bears recorded two shots in the first overtime period, while not allowing the Anteaters to take a single one, but couldn't get one to go.

Brown had its chances to win the game in the second overtime, putting three shots on goal in the frame.

With under a minute remaining, Raphino split a pair of defenders with a pass into the box to Ava Seelenfreund. The Anteaters goalie was in good position and was able to deflect Seeelnfreund's shot out of bounds.

On the ensuing corner kick, Kayla Duran won the ball out of the air and put another shot on goal, but Irvine's netminder made her second impressive stop in the final minute of action to send the game to PKs.

In penalty kicks, the Irvine goalkeeper made a pair of saves to start things off, while the Anteaters converted on their first two.

Despite Courtney Cummings and Kira Maguire scoring on the next two Bear chances, when Irvine scored their fourth there was no way for Brown to make up the difference. The game was officially recorded as a tie, but the Anteaters advanced to the Third Round based on the PKs result.

On the night, Brown outshot Irvine 24-9, including a 7-3 edge in shots on goal. The Bears also earned eight corners to the Anteaters' three.

"This senior group is a special group," McNeill said. "They've been extremely successful as a senior class. They haven't lost a conference game in their four years here, which is an incredible feat. Their leadership, their determination, their commitment to this program has been tremendous. They're the reason we're here.

"They left everything on the field for us and I'm so proud of each and every one of them."

UC Irvine will face the winner of No. 1 seed Alabama and No. 8 seed Portland in the Third Round of the NCAA Tournament this Sunday, Nov. 20.

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