Late Aurora goal stops Women's Soccer's comeback attempt in NACC Final

AURORA, Ill. – Nicci Bermudes of Aurora University recorded her third goal of the game with 1:15 remaining ending the Concordia University Wisconsin Women's Soccer team's comeback effort in the NACC Final Saturday.

Bermudes hat trick score was a strike from roughly 25 yards out, giving the Spartans the 3-2 win. This came after CUW scored twice in the second half, both headers from senior Anna Hirssig (Rochester, Minn.) to tie the game at 2-2.

Hirssig's first goal, her 10th of the season, came in the 61st minute, cutting the Spartans lead to 2-1. Junior Carley Pfannerstill (Grafton, Wis.) sent a cross the way of Hirssig who used her height advantage to net the header. The assist also put Pfannerstill at the 100-point mark for her career as she became the fourth Falcons player to reach that milestone in the NACC area.

Just minutes later Hirssig struck again this time off a free kick from sophomore Abigial Freeland (Grafton, Wis.). The second goal was scored in the 68th minute.

Aurora had several chances to take the 3-2 lead before the Bermudes game-winner but Falcons keeper Ariana Worthing (Saginaw, Mich.) continued to make big save after big save. It took three perfectly placed shots by the conference's leading scorer to lift the top-seeded Spartans Saturday.

Worthing finished the match with seven saves, six of those coming in the second half. Rachel Warnock stopped three shots to pick up the win for the Spartans. AU finished with a 21-13 edge in shots. The Falcons actually held an 8-7 edge in shots in the first half, despite trailing 2-0 and took just five shots in the second half, two of those resulting in Hirssig goals.

Bermudes had both first-half goals, the opening score coming just 1:31 into play. Her second goal was an impressive strike from about 20 yards out on the right side where she placed the ball perfectly in the upper right corner of the goal. The three-goal effort gave the junior 34 for the season, easily leading the NACC.

Pfannerstill had five shots and Hirssig added four for the Falcons. The match saw a combined 25 fouls and three yellow cards. CUW was whistled for 18 fouls, while the Spartans just seven.

CUW ends its 2014 season with a 14-6-0 record. It was a year that saw two players reach 100 career points, a program-record seven game winning streak and many memorable moments, including a second place finish in the NACC.