CRYSTAL LAKE, Ill. --- A perfect 6-for-6 performance on penalty kicks enabled the No.8 seeded University of St. Francis women's soccer team to advance to the semifinal round of the Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference Tournament for the first time since 2014 after upsetting top-seeded Judson University on Friday afternoon. Neither team scored in the contest until the penalty kicks, where both teams hit their first five attempts before the Saints won it on the sixth shot.

Lauren Pikulski provided the final penalty kick with the ball deflecting off the outstretched hands of the Judson goalkeeper before rolling into the left corner of the goal. USF's other good penalty kicks came from Litzy Corona, Litzy Mendez, Alexis Marroquin, Claudia Hernandez, and Allison Schaar.

Playing in their first postseason match since 2017, the Saints (9-6-2) relied on their defense throughout, most notably goalkeeper Yadira Estrada. The senior stopped a season-high 13 shots on goal, including four in the two overtimes. She also saved five shots in the opening half and four more in the second half.

The effort also was a record-setting one for Estrada as she became USF's all-time career leader in shutouts with ten. Eight of the ten shutouts have come this year.

For the match, Judson (12-4-2) totaled 24 shots. USF, on the other hand, registered only one shot on goal, but did have its chances with many of its seven total attempts missing just high, including a pair in the closing two minutes of regulation and another two in the second overtime.

USF's advancement comes less than two weeks after Judson, the CCAC regular-season co-champion, blanked the Saints 3-0 on Oct. 26.  

Up Next
The Saints face either No.4 seed Olivet Nazarene University or No.5 St. Ambrose University on the road Tuesday in semifinal-round action of the CCAC Tournament.

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