Charleston, WV – The Golden Eagles returned to the Welch Athletic Complex on Thursday afternoon to face Dominican University of California in the Mountain East Conference semifinal, but a strong start from the Penguins proved to be the difference as Charleston fell, 15-13.
The Basics
- Location: Welch Athletic Complex
- Final Score: UC 13, DUC 15
- Records: Charleston (13-6, 9-2 MEC), Dominican (11-3, 2-0 MEC)
How It Happened
Dominican came out firing early, scoring just 90 seconds into the contest. Alyse Weber answered quickly to tie the game, but the Penguins controlled the rest of the opening quarter. Dominican added four unanswered goals to take a 5-1 lead after one.
The Penguins continued to build momentum in the second quarter, scoring twice in the first two minutes to extend their lead to 7-1. Madison Partridge responded with a man-up goal following a green card to keep Charleston within reach. After a lengthy scoreless stretch, Dominican struck again with two more goals. Darby Stolz found the net with 2:16 remaining off an assist from Hayden Slinkard, but Dominican added another before Emilee Franklin scored late to close the half. Charleston entered the break trailing 10-4.
The Golden Eagles came out of halftime with renewed energy, putting together a strong offensive push. Partridge, Elise Collins, and Stolz all scored within the first three minutes of the third quarter. Partridge added another a few minutes later to cut the deficit to two. Dominican answered late with three goals in the closing minutes of the quarter to regain control, heading into the fourth up 13-8.
Charleston continued to battle in the final period. Weber opened the scoring with a free-position goal, but Dominican responded immediately following another green card. Stolz scored again to reach double digits for the Golden Eagles, and Charleston mounted a late rally with three more goals down the stretch. However, Dominican held on to secure the 15-13 victory.
Charleston ends the season with a 13-6 overall record and a 9-2 mark in MEC play, earning MEC regular season co-champion honors for the first time in program history.
