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JCCC women’s soccer prevails in penalty shootout to advance to NJCAA D-II Championship

JCCC women's soccer player Brecken Hoy takes control of the ball
JCCC women's soccer player Brecken Hoy takes control of the ball

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. – After playing 120 minutes, the Johnson County Community College women's soccer team advanced to the championship match of the NJCAA Division II National Tournament by prevailing a penalty kick shootout, 9-8, over Heartland Community College. 

The match was tied 1-1 after regulation, two 10-mintue overtime periods and 11 rounds of penalties until JCCC freshman midfielder Brecken Hoy smoothly fired her second penalty kick into the right corner of the net to send the Lady Cavaliers to national final for a second straight year. (Hoy's game-winning PK

Johnson County (19-0-4) will face Northwest Mississippi Community College (21-0) for the title at noon on Saturday in Huntsville, Alabama in a battle of the top two teams in NJCAA Division II women's soccer.

Johnson County struck first in the match with a goal by freshman forward Jill Lenherr off a feed from sophomore midfielder Macy Malik in the 49th minute. 

Heartland's Yeirdan Padilla netted the equalizer in the 86th minute to force overtime. 

While Hoy's final penalty kick will be the one most celebrated, her first made PK may have been just a key to the victory. The Lady Cavaliers had missed on back-to-back attempts and fell behind to Heartland 3-1 when Hoy faced with do-or-die attempt, and she fired one into the back of the net. 

That make kept JCCC's chances alive then sophomore goalkeeper Maddox Fergus saved Heartland's attempt in the fifth round and sophomore midfielder Lotta Meindl scored to force an extra round of penalty kicks. Both teams converted four straight, then both missed in the 10th round and made in the 11th round to set up Hoy's game-winner after Heartland had missed on its 12th round attempt.

JCCC freshman midfielder Tatum Bresette was also successful on both of her penalty kick attempts, scoring the opening PK and the 11th

Johnson County is looking for its first national championship in program history, as the Lady Cavaliers have finished runner-up twice — once in 2009 and again last year.