The Lawrence University women's soccer team has punched its ticket to the Big Dance.
Izzy Robertson's goal in overtime on Saturday lifted Lawrence to a 2-1 victory over Lake Forest College in the championship game of the Midwest Conference Tournament at Mohr Field in Lake Forest, Illinois.
Lawrence receives the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Tournament. The Vikings, making their fourth NCAA Tournament appearance, will learn their opponent on Monday. (UPDATE: The Vikings will play the University of Chicago in the opening round at 3:30 p.m. CST Friday at Calvin University in Grand Rapids, Mich. The regional final is set for 4 p.m. Saturday.)
"We found a way," Lawrence coach Joe Sagar said. "Very emotional right now. It's been a lot of work to get there but to win it with this group of players, it's something I'll remember for a long, long time."
The teams were tied 1-1 after regulation and were nearing the end of the first 10-minute overtime period when Lawrence took a free kick. Senior Cambrie Rickard found Robertson, who headed the ball toward the net. The ball hit right at the intersection of the crossbar and upright and caromed into the back of the net at the 98:44 mark.
"Izzy must have jumped five-and-a-half feet in the air. I'm not sure how she headed it in, but she did," Sagar said.
Lawrence (15-4-2) took the early lead off a long ball from junior Erica Grube. Hannah Kalt played a long pass to Grube, who lofted the ball over Lake Forest goalkeeper Franca Finch from more than 30 yards out for the goal and a 1-0 lead at the 22:10 mark.
The score stayed that way until Izzy DeStefano scored for Lake Forest at 57:18.
Both teams had multiple scoring chances, and Lawrence got a pair of great saves from Ella Lysne. She finished with four saves for the Vikings, and Finch had two saves for the Foresters (14-3-3).
"This is the kind of stuff that's written in the stars," Sagar said. "This group of seniors scored in overtime as first-years to get us to the conference tournament for the first time in years. It's kind of special that they found a way to do it for the national tournament as well."
This is Lawrence's fourth MWC Tournament championship, and all have come on the road. Lawrence won the league tournament in 2000 at St. Norbert College, in 2001 at Lake Forest and in 2010 at Carroll University.
Lawrence's 24 NCAA Division III athletic teams and intramurals provide a variety of opportunities for students to grow and develop as a person and in community.