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EVANS, Ga. – The top-seeded and third-ranked Columbus State University women's soccer team claimed its eighth Peach Belt Conference Tournament championship Sunday, downing seventh-seeded Georgia College in penalty kicks. The PBC title match was played at Blanchard Woods Park.
Columbus State (16-0-2) has now won four of the last five PBC Tournaments and secures the conference's automatic berth into the NCAA Tournament. The NCAA field will be announced during the Selection Show Monday night at 6:30 p.m. on ncaa.com.
"You have to grind out games in the postseason," head coach
Jay Entlich said. "Give Georgia College credit for being well prepared, but I'm super proud of the way we fought and stepped up at the end with the game on the line."
Regulation and two overtime periods were not enough to decide Sunday's championship match, as the Lady Cougars and Bobcats played to a 0-0 draw through 110 minutes.
Forced into its first shootout since 2012, CSU calmly stepped up and took care of business.
Bria Riancho saved the first two GC shots, while
Amanda Murphy and
Olivia Jarrell converted for the Lady Cougars. The Bobcats finally scored on the third attempt, but
Flo Spano found the net to match.
Georgia College made its fourth attempt to stay alive, however
Riley Clark tucked her shot away to secure the championship.
Riancho was named the tournament's Most Valuable Player behind three straight shutout efforts and 290 scoreless minutes. The sophomore made five saves on Sunday for her eighth clean sheet of the year.
Brooke Nail,
Maddy Peterson and
Flo Spano were also named to the All-Tournament team.
Columbus State dominated possession for the majority of the afternoon. The Lady Cougars held a 9-2 advantage in shots at the break, including a dangerous early strike from
Parker Morgan that required a diving save.
It was much of the same in the second half with CSU creating opportunities, but the Bobcat defense kept the Lady Cougars off the board.
Georgia College (11-5-5) and Columbus State each had opportunities in the overtime periods, however neither found the back of the net sending the game to a shootout.
