DENVER – The University of Denver women's soccer team and South Dakota played to a 1-1 draw for the second time in six days, but the Pioneers advanced to their fifth-straight Summit League Final and seven in eight years with a 4-2 shootout victory on Thursday afternoon at the University of Denver Soccer Stadium.
 
Scoring Summary
Denver (13-5-2): Sharp 54'
South Dakota (10-4-4): Centineo 81'
 
Inside The Box Score:
Denver outshot South Dakota 22-6 in the 110 minutes, including 12-2 on target. The Pioneers took five of the nine corners in the match.
 
 
First Half:
After playing to a 1-1 opening half in their meeting six days ago, Denver and South Dakota played to a scoreless opening 45 minutes in the semifinal. Denver outshot South Dakota 7-1 in the first half, and both teams took three corners.

The Pioneers forced USD goalkeeper Emma Harkleroad into three saves in the first half, including a 20-yard run and shot from the top of the box from Kaitlyn Glover.
 
Denver kept 64% possession in the first half, with 66% of that possession coming in the Pioneers attacking half.  
 
Second Half:
The Pioneers continued to push for the breakthrough to start the second half and eventually found it in the 54^th minute. Natalie Beckman played Sami Feller in behind down the Denver left to start the chance. Feller cut it back to the penalty spot to an open Sydney Sharp, who struck it first time and beat the goalkeeper with pace to put the Pioneers ahead.
 
Denver had a couple chances to make it 2-0, but couldn't find the insurance goal before South Dakota got the match back on level terms in the 81^st minute. Maddison Sullivan had her shot at the top of the box blocked by a couple Denver defenders, and the rebound bounced right to the feet of Jordan Centineo, who knocked in her seventh of the season.
 
Sharp drew Denver's best chance of the second half in the 87^th minute when she was tripped up at the top of the box. Beckman took the free kick from a similar distance that she scored from last Friday against South Dakota, but her free kick was saved on this occasion and the match went into extra time.
 
The Pioneers outshot South Dakota 8-3 in the second half, including 6-1 on target.
 
 
Extra Time:
Sydney Sharp had the first chance of the first extra time period, but the 22-yard attempt landed on the roof of the net and out for a goal kick.
 
Denver had a couple chances late in the first half of overtime. Taylor Wells had her first chance at the winner tipped over the bar for a corner in the 99^th. Off the ensuing corner, Wells had her shot stopped and Ella Frost was the first to the rebound, but her shot rattled the woodwork.
 
Wells had the first chance of the second period of extra time, when less than a minute in she got in behind the South Dakota defense, but her shot smacked off the crossbar and out for a goal kick.
 
Penalties:
Beckman tucked the first penalty into the side netting to open the scoring. Lindsay Farrell answered for the Coyotes to make it 1-1. Frost made Denver's second and then Nerea Arrazola made a save to give Denver the lead through two rounds.
 
Glover's penalty made it 3-1 Denver, but Joana Zanin pulled the Coyotes back to within one through the end of the third round.
 
Vanessa Murray struck the crossbar with Denver's fourth penalty, but Abby Ostrem's take ratted the left post to keep Denver's advantage through the fourth round. Centerback Hannah Gallegos knocked home the winner, smashing it into the left side netting to send the Pioneers to the final.
 
Up Next:
The Pioneers will take on the winner of second-seeded South Dakota State and third-seeded Omaha on Saturday at 2 p.m. MT in the Summit League Final.
 
Notes:

• Sydney Sharp scored in her NCAA Soccer leading 15^th different match this season.
  • The goal is her 15^th of the season, two behind the single-season record set by Jenni Harris (2003) and Taryn Hemmings (2007).
  • The tally was also the 25^th of her career, bringing her into a tie for 10^th with Hannah Adler.
• Sami Feller's assist was her 11^th of the season and the 26^th of her career.
  • Her 26 career assists is sixth in Denver's Division I history.
  • Her 11^th assist of the season is eighth in Denver's Division I history.
• Natalie Beckman's assist was her 16^th of the season and the 45^th of her career.
  • Beckman now has the single-season assist and career assist record.

Tickets:
Tickets for the 2021 Summit League Women's Soccer Championship can be purchased here.
 
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