University of Central Oklahoma Athletics

Shootout Stinger

11/6/2015 9:53:00 PM

Kentia Kokis

WARRENSBURG, Mo. (Nov. 6) – Central Oklahoma saw its season come to a disappointing end here Friday night with a shootout loss in the semifinals of the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association Post-season Tournament.

The Bronchos and Northeastern State tied 1-1 through 90 minutes of regulation and two 10-minute overtime periods before the RiverHawks prevailed 4-3 in the tiebreaking shootout.

UCO had a season-high five-game winning streak snapped in ending the year 12-5-3, while NSU improved to 15-4-1 in advancing to Sunday's 1 p.m. finals against host and regular season champion Central Missouri, which edged Fort Hays State 3-2 in double overtime in the other semifinal.

The tournament champion earns the league's automatic berth into the NCAA Division II national tournament.

"It's a tough way to end the season, but I was really proud of the way we battled tonight," head coach Mike Cook said. "We had some chances and weren't able to convert, especially at the end of regulation, and then the shootout just didn't go our way."

Kenzie Sublett, Victoria Neblett and Caitlin Moore scored in the first three shots of the shootout, but UCO missed its last two shots and the RiverHawks made their last attempt to take the win.

NSU scored just 10:55 into the game to take a 1-0 lead, but the Bronchos tied it 10 minutes later.

Kentia Kokis knocked in the tying score, taking a pass from Katie Killion and scoring from close range for her eighth goal of the season.

Neither team scored again until the shootout, tough UCO had plenty of chances. The Bronchos missed three shots in the final two minutes of regulation and ended up outshooting NSU 19-13.

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