BELTON, Texas – Hardin-Simmons' women's soccer team advanced to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Division III Women's Soccer Championship as it won a penalty shootout after a 1-1 tie with Emory University on Sunday night in Belton.
 
Senior goalkeeper Haley Foley saved the final penalty kick shot by Emory's Kaitlyn Nimmer. Foley saved two shots in the shootout and another shot hit the crossbar.
 
The Cowgirls won the shootout 3-2. Both teams missed their first attempt. Alyssa Stanley then buried her shot and the Eagles answered to tie it 1-1. Lauren Stengel then made it 2-1 and Emory answered tying the shootout at 2-2 after three shooters. Both teams missed on the fourth shot. On the fifth round Kaylee Maddox calmly buried her shot into the corner to set up the decisive kick between Nimmer and Foley.
 
HSU took a 1-0 lead just prior to halftime when Rachel Bonnin scored off a rebounded save of a Kirsten Bush shot.
 
The game remained 1-0 until 1:59 remained when the Cowgirls were called for a foul in the box and Emory received a penalty kick. Grace Reyer made the penalty to tie the score at 1-1.
 
Neither team scored in the two overtime periods. HSU had the most chances with five shots in the overtime periods.
 
HSU out shot the Eagles 20-11 in the contest and had a 9-5 advantage in shots on frame. Foley was brilliant in the second half, recording all four of her saves in the contest.
 
The result is officially counted as a tie and HSU is now 17-1-3 on the year. Emory closes its season with a record of 8-5-6. HSU will play California Lutheran in the next round at Christopher Newport University in Newport News, Va.
 
This will be HSU's 12^th trip to the Sweet 16 and the first since 2018.
 
 
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