LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The Westminster College Lady Blue Jays soccer team will get the chance to play for the SLIAC postseason tournament championship for just the second time in school history.
Freshman midfielder Courtney Whitlock's second goal of the match, coming in the 62nd minute, lifted No. 3 seed Westminster to a 3-2 semifinal victory over No. 2 Spalding College on Thursday afternoon.
The win moves the Lady Blue Jays (10-6-1) into the St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference championship against top-seeded Webster University (13-5) at 7:30 p.m. Saturday at Soccer Park in St. Louis. Webster - the conference's regular-season champion - advanced with a 2-1 triumph over No. 4 seed Greenville (Ill.) College in Thursday night's other semifinal.
Westminster will be looking to avenge a 2-1 loss at Webster on Oct. 13.
Spalding (10-5-2) broke on top first in Thursday's semifinal on Madison Ratchford's goal in the 42nd minute. The Lady Blue Jays then tied the match when senior forward Tayisah Pohtos scored off an assist from sophomore back Abby Rockers in the 50th minute.
Whitlock gave Westminster a 2-1 edge when she tallied her first goal - assisted by Pohtos - in the 57th minute. The Lady Golden Eagles forced the second tie on Baylee Tabler's goal in the 60th minute.
Less than 2 minutes later, Whitlock put the Lady Blue Jays in front to stay when she scored the decisive goal off an assist from sophomore back Kaely Fitterling.
Westminster outshot Spalding 15-10, including 12-7 in shots on goal. Both teams finished with three corner kicks.
Junior goalkeeper Ellen Woolsey was credited with five saves for the Lady Blue Jays.