The Eastern women’s soccer team played its first OVC Tournament match since 2013 on Sunday and beat Southeast Missouri 3-2 in penalty kicks to advance to the semifinals next weekend against Murray State. 

Eastern played Southeast Missouri on Oct. 11 and the Redhawks won 1-0 in overtime.

This time there was scoring in regulation. 

Eastern went ahead 1-0 in the 38th minute when senior Kayla Stolfa scored her second goal of the season. The Panthers held the lead until Southeast Missouri’s leading scorer, Esmie Gonzales, found the back of the net in the 75th minute. 

It was Gonzales who scored the game-winner in the regular season matchup. 

But neither team could add a second goal in regulation. 

There was plenty of physical play in both overtime periods, but neither team could generate any scoring chances. 

So the match came down to penalty kicks. 

Southeast Missouri shot first, and sophomore Lexi Grote missed high over the crossbar. 

Henar Urteaga shot first for Eastern, and Southeast Missouri’s goalkeeper, Bailey Redden, made the save. 

Redden led the OVC in save percentage during the regular season. 

Amanda Orlando of the Redhawks found the net, beating Eastern goalkeeper Sara Teteak to her right side. Teteak was second in the OVC in save percentage. 

Redden then made a second consecutive save, this time against Eastern sophomore Pilar Barrio.

Southeast Missouri’s Jordan Nelson scored as she beat Teteak low to her left. 

Angela Corcoran scored for Eastern, making the score 2-1 through three rounds of penalty kicks.

Maddi Karstens took the fourth shot for Southeast Missouri. Teteak dove to her left to make the save, and soon after Lexi Ketterhagen beat Redden to tie the shootout 2-2.

Redhawk senior Lauren Kaempfe had a chance to grab the lead, but her shot missed wide off of the goalpost.

Eastern sophomore Itxaso Aguero stepped up with the match on the line and found the back of the net, giving the Panthers the 3-2 shootout victory.

After the celebration, Eastern head coach Jake Plant spoke about the importance of the win. 

“It’s phenomenal for the program,” Plant said. “We’ve been preaching culture, a good playing identity and belief. And for (the team) to then reap the rewards of all that, it makes believers out of them.”

Plant also spoke about the match’s dramatic finish, and the showdown between the OVC’s two top goalkeepers. 

“(Southeast Missouri’s) goalkeeper is phenomenal. And she’s a freshman,” he said. “But we’ve had a lot of belief in Teteak and she’s been doing it all year for us. She’s been awesome.”

Eastern will face the second-seeded Murray State Racers on Friday in the semifinal match. The match will be held at the top seed Tennessee-Martin’s field. Eastern lost 2-1 to Murray State on Sept. 21. 

The winner will advance to play the winner of Tennessee-Martin and the four seed Eastern Kentucky. 

Plant said he is expecting a good week of preparation leading up to the match. The Panthers will look to play consistently, which has been their goal all season. 

“It’s a matter of peaking at the right time,” Plant said. “We are right now.”

Adam Tumino can be reached at 581-2812 or [email protected]