Hanover Handles Lady Jackets Soccer in Season Finale

DEFIANCE, Ohio – It was a dominant performance by the visiting Hanover Panthers, as they came to play on a day that had playoff implications on the line. With both teams fighting for a spot in the conference tournament, the Panthers bested the DC women's soccer team 3-0 on Saturday, October 27.

In the first period, it was all Hanover. The squad did an excellent job of passing and controlling possession throughout the half to get quality shots on goal. Hanover grabbed the lead in the 11th minute when it headed in a goal off of a corner kick.

With the Panthers strong play and the wind on their side, the team outshot Defiance 14-to-1 and registered an astonishing nine corner kicks over the first 45 minutes. But, DC kept on fighting and held against the unforgiving Hanover attack to keep the score 1-0 at intermission.

Play got underway in the second half and the Lady Jackets came out with some energy to notch a few shots at the net. But it wasn't enough, as they couldn't convert any attempts.

Then in the 70th minute, the Panthers pushed the ball into DC's box and Hanover's Rachel Alvis punched in a score in the lower right 90 for a 2-0 advantage. It was a devastating goal for Defiance, as it put the team in a hole it couldn't come back from.

The Panthers then put the nail in the coffin with an 87th minute score and sealed the huge 3-0 victory that secured the third-place seed in the conference tournament.

With the loss, the Lady Jackets record goes final at 9-6-4 (4-3-2 HCAC), and the Panthers improved to 13-4-1 (6-2-1).

For senior day, Katie Heitkamp and Anna Kusz were both recognized before the match for their four years with the team and all they have done to help this program.