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COLUMBUS – The Capital University women's soccer team surrendered a game-tying goal with two minutes to play in regulation Monday, then was defeated 3-2 in penalty kicks after a 1-1 tie against John Carroll in an Ohio Athletic Conference Tournament quarterfinal match on a soggy, cold day at Bernlohr Stadium.

The Crusaders (10-8-2 overall) held a 1-0 advantage until the 89th minute, when the Blue Streaks stunningly found the equalizer to send the match into overtime.

After two scoreless extra periods, the game entered a shootout to determine which team would advance in the tournament. Freshmen Maura Fortino (Philadelphia, Pa.) and Kim Hoerauf (Worthington, Ohio) scored the first two penalty kicks for Capital to square the PKs at 2-2. After JCU made it 3-2, the next five players were stopped and the Blue Streaks held on for the victory.

"There are four to six plays, or moments, in any game that decide the game, and this year, this team was on the short end of most of those moments," Capital coach Chris Kouns said. "Hopefully we choose to work in the offseason and dedicate ourselves to not feel that way again."

John Carroll (9-6-4), which was eliminated in the OAC Tournament final last season by the Crusaders, advances to take on No. 2 seed Baldwin Wallace on Wednesday in Berea, Ohio.

Senior Natalie Fiorelli (Pickerington, Ohio; below right) put the Crusaders on the board in the 38th minute, taking a great pass through defenders by classmate Alexa Bosanac (Strongsville, Ohio) and beating the keeper to the lower left corner. It was Fiorelli's team-leading ninth tally of the season.

Junior goalkeeper Maggie Donnellan (Cincinnati, Ohio), who saved a pair of shots during the shootout, posted six saves during the match.

Playing with the wind in the first half, the Crusaders dominated possession and fired off seven shots against none for John Carroll. Play evened in the second half, but Capital held off the Blue Streaks, who finished with a 5-2 edge in corner kicks.

The Crusaders missed several opportunities for a second goal during the match, missing on two open nets and being stopped on an early PK opportunity in the first half.

The loss ended the stellar careers of Capital's four seniors (pictured above) – Fiorelli, Bosanac, Kate Connell (Drexel Hill, Pa.) and Dani Irwin (LaGrange, Ky.).

"I told the seniors thank you," Kouns said. "The seniors were part of doing some special things, including winning the OAC Tournament championship last year and knocking off, at the time, a top 20 team in Ohio Northern to give them their first loss of their season."

The setback also ended hopes of a second consecutive OAC Tournament championship and automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Tournament.

"We climbed a mountain last year, and it's great to be part of climbing the mountain, but maintaining your spot on the mountain is something else," Kouns said. "That takes more than getting there, and that's the challenge for us going forward. I told them they have the power to do everything that's necessary."