The Basics
Score: Oral Roberts 0 (5) – North Dakota State 0 (3)
Record: ORU (9-7-5), (3-2-3) – NDSU (10-5-4), (6-1-1)
Location: Dacotah Field (Fargo, North Dakota)


FARGO, N.D. – For the second time in three years, the Oral Roberts women's soccer team is heading to the Summit League Championship after advancing past NDSU 5-3 in penalty kicks.
 
The Golden Eagles will face No. 3 South Dakota State on Sunday, November 10 at 1:00 p.m. in Fargo for the Summit League title.
 
After regulation, two overtimes, and one hundred ten minutes of gritty, high quality soccer, ORU and North Dakota State remained knotted at 0-0. Both teams made their way to midfield and prepared to face off in penalty kicks.

Summit League Second Teamer Samantha Guzman stepped up first for the Golden Eagles and struck the ball in the upper right corner just past the outstretched arms of Summit League Goalkeeper of the Year Payton Mulberry. NDSU sent its first kicker to the box and evened the score 1-1. Graduate student Kennedy Langbartels made it 2-1 ORU, placing her shot in the bottom right corner of the goal. The Bison once again evened the score. Summit League First Team selection Julia Thasaphong continued ORU's streak and shot her PK into the right side of the goal. After NDSU knocked in another PK, Marcella Alves stepped up and rifled a shot into the left side of the goal to make it 4-3 ORU. Next, NDSU sent up the Summit League Offensive Player of the Year and Newcomer of the Year, Morgan Russmann. Russman struck the ball towards the bottom right corner, but a diving Alexa Riefer stretched out her left hand and blocked the shot. To secure the Golden Eagle victory, Coach Risenhoover sent out midfielder Carson Arne. Arne lined up the ball and confidently shot it into the left corner of the goal, advancing ORU to the championship match 5-3 in PKs.
 
Inside the Box Score

• ORU won the previous two postseason meetings with NDSU, defeating the Bison in the 2016 semifinals and 2022 quarterfinals.
• This marks the first time since the field expanded to six teams in 2022 that the No. 5 seed will appear in the title game.
• The Golden Eagles will play in their ninth tournament title match and own a 2-3-3 record in those contests and hoisted their two trophies in 1999 and 2004. ORU made the title game last in 2022.
• This was ORU's first victory in penalty kicks since it defeated Denver in the 2022 Summit League semifinals.
• Head Coach Austin Risenhoover has now taken his Golden Eagle squad to the Summit League title match in two of his three years at the helm.
• Alexa Riefer earned her sixth shutout of the year and second in postseason play.
• NDSU outshot ORU 15-6, but the Golden Eagles put two shots on frame to the Bison's one.
• Five different players registered a shot for ORU.
• Both programs took three corner kicks.
• Riefer made one save tonight, bringing her season total to 98.
• Twenty Golden Eagles made an appearance in the match.
• Defenders Kylee Munson, Alani Chaple, and midfielder Jordan Grigsby played all 110 minutes of the match.
• ORU recorded two yellow cards.

Up Next
The Golden Eagles will face SDSU on Sunday, November 10 at 1:00 p.m. in Fargo.

For the latest information on ORU women's soccer, follow @ORUWSoccer on Instagram, X, and Facebook, or go to www.ORUAthletics.com. Fans can also receive updates on the team by downloading the ORU Athletics App in the Google Play or App Store.