The Houghton College women’s soccer team claimed their first ever National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA) National Championship title, defeating Mississippi College, on Saturday, December 5 in Kissimmee, Florida.
In the championship game, Sarah Gabriele ‘16 scored Houghton’s lone goal with only 1.7 seconds left in the standard game, after a free kick. This brought the game to a tie sending the women into overtime.
The Highlanders fought for their title in double overtime and finally claimed it in a penalty shoot-out after a week of competing in the NCCAA National Tournament.
During the shoot-out, team members Gabriele, Meagan Barry ‘19, Torri Sperl ‘18, and Kristi Spotts ‘18 scored penalty kicks leading the team to victory.
Head coach David Lewis noted that the women have played in multiple National Tournaments reaching the Sweet 16, Elite 8, and last year the Final Four. However, this is the first time the women have appeared in the Championship Match.
“Every day we worked hard and were dedicated to achieving this goal. We played a lot of really strong competition all throughout the season that really prepared us for the NCCAA post-season,” said Gabriele.
Lewis commented, “This team has been eager to improve. They have not been content with the status quo, but have committed themselves to improve individually and corporately. Their improvement has been evident throughout the season. Their play and the subsequent results are a testament to their hard work.”
To qualify for this national tournament the women had to meet the standards set by the school to qualify for post-season. According to Harold ‘Skip’ Lord, Executive Director of Intercollegiate Athletics, this meant achieving a minimum 0.550 win/loss record and Top 10 in the national NCCAA rankings.
Additionally, they had to win the Midwest Region of the NCCAA. They achieved this by defeating Lancaster Bible College and Ohio Christian University.
“We are very proud of the great season that Coach Lewis and the women’s soccer team have put together. They have succeeded not only on the field, but in the classroom, on campus and most importantly in representing Christ in all they do,” said Lord.
Captain Jenny Zacchigna ‘17 commented, “It was easy to see how God was working within our team and blessing us continually as the week went on. The exciting finish to the final game was not only a product of hard work by the entire team and Coach Lewis, but a reminder that a team who plays to glorify Him can do amazing things.”
With their championship title, the Highlanders finished their season with a final record of 16-6-2. This is the first national title for a Houghton women’s team and the first for any Houghton team since men’s soccer claimed the NCCAA title in 1986.
“This has been my third year competing at nationals and there is really nothing like it. You just get to play soccer with your best friends every day in the warmth of Florida. It’s a great experience and blessing to get to play in the tournament, this year even more so because we accomplished what we set out to do,” said Captain Bailey Shattell ‘17.