Bears drop hard-fought 2-1 match to IU-Kokomo in RSC Semis
| Final | 1 | 2 | OT | OT2 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Shawnee State (8-9-1, 6-3-1) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
|
IU Kokomo (11-3-5, 8-0-2) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
With wins in eight out of their last 10 contests coming into a Wednesday evening River States Conference Semifinal contest against Indiana University-Kokomo, the Shawnee State women's soccer program entered a road bout against the No. 1-seeded Cougars on a roll.
And Natasha Ademakinwa's group, again, showed those qualities in spades.
For two full 90-minute periods and nearly two full overtimes, No. 5-seeded Shawnee State put a serious scare into the RSC Regular Season Conference Champs in a thrilling battle.
However, a game-winning goal by IU-Kokomo's Brooke Gill late in the second overtime session ended the Bears' outstanding run as Shawnee State fell to IU-Kokomo, 2-1, in the previously mentioned River States Conference Semifinal that was held in Kokomo, Ind.
Quick Stats
Despite the loss, Shawnee State not only played right with No. 1-seeded IU-Kokomo, but dominated the proceedings throughout much of the contest as the Bears held a 24-16 edge in shots -- including a monstrous 16-6 advantage in shots on goal. It took a splendid effort by IU-Kokomo's Sydney Miller, who had 15 saves, to stop an unrelenting SSU attack.
Ntumba gives SSU early lead
With 13 of its shots coming in the opening half of action alone, it was only a matter of time before the Bears would strike -- and Frederika Ntumba did just that in the 36th minute.
Taking a pass from Carlota Ipina Taylor, Ntumba scored her eighth goal of the year -- and without question her most important -- to give the Bears a 1-0 advantage. The sophomore ultimately finished with eight goals, two assists and 18 points for the 2023 season.
Masterful improvement
Shawnee State's second half turnaround in 2023 will certainly rank as one of the most impressive in school history -- as the Bears, after starting the 2023 season 0-7-1, ripped off eight wins in their final 11 contests while playing a brand of soccer that was as good as anybody's in the conference, as was proven Wednesday evening.
The Bears had seven seniors on their 2023 version of the roster, but five of Shawnee State's top six scorers (Ntumba, Brianna Brudy, Lucie Ashkettle, Robyn Drinkwater and Annie Coriell) were of sophomore eligibility or younger while SSU goalkeeper Julie Derenemesnil, who was thrust into action at the spot, was a junior, which gives Ademakinwa's group a great deal to look toward in 2024.