COMMERCE – The top-seeded Texas A&M University-Commerce soccer team battled to a 1-1 draw with third-seeded Midwestern State University in the finals of the Lone Star Conference Championship on Sunday. MSU would take the tournament title with a 5-4 win in a penalty kick shootout.
 
A&M-Commerce is now 14-5-1 overall on the season and will await word of its qualification for the NCAA Division II Tournament. The Lions will watch the NCAA Selection Show at 5 p.m. Monday in The Club in the Rayburn Student Center.
 
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
 - The Lions and Mustangs played an even match, with MSU taking 13 shots to the Lions' 12. A&M-Commerce goalkeeper Caitlin Duty made five saves.
- This was A&M-Commerce's third straight appearance in the LSC Tournament finals.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Lions got on the board early, with senior Anitra Wright scoring her fourth goal of the season. Savannah Grasser stormed down the left side of the field and hit a hard, low cross into the box, where Wright poked it into the net for a 1-0 lead in the fourth minute.
 
MSU tied the game in the 21st minute, when Destinee Williamson and Nicole Coetzer broke downfield on a counter attack, with Williamson putting in a goal from close range after a defensive breakdown. That score would roll into halftime as neither team had a clear-cut chance in the remainder of the period.
 
In the 52nd minute, the Lions came painfully close to going ahead once again, as a corner kick was whipped into the six-yard box and a header by Kasey Sorbers caromed off of the crossbar.
 
After no scoring in the second half, the Lions had a flurry of action in front of the goal towards the end of the first overtime, but a header by Jessika Coronado was turned away just before time expired.
 
The Lions had the best opportunity in the second overtime, but a close-range shot by Grasser was turned away by MSU's goalkeeper, Courtney Burnette.
 
In the shootout, Burnette saved A&M-Commerce's first shot from Wright, who had gone to the goalie's right but was turned away. MSU's shooters guessed right on all five shots. The Lions had shots by Michelle Kotlik, Savannah Grasser, Vicky Back, and Delaney Bunselmeyer all go in, but Duty was unable to push away any Mustang shots. Sarah Stewart made the final shot for the Mustangs to take the tournament title.