Eastern Kentucky University Athletics

CONWAY, Ark. - A historic season for the Eastern Kentucky University women's soccer team came to a close Saturday with a 3-1 loss to Abilene Christian in the United Athletic Conference championship match.
 
The Colonels finished 10-7-4 overall and 6-2-2 in UAC play. EKU won its second regular-season title in program history and earned its first No. 1 seed in a conference tournament. The Colonels also set single-season program records with 31 goals, 293 shots, and 130 shots on goal.

Jordan LeVasseur, Juliet Strange and Chiara Premoli were named to the UAC All-Tournament Team. LeVasseur and Strange anchored the EKU defense in a shutout of No. 2 seed Tarleton State in the semifinals, while Premoli helped the Colonels generate 13 shots on goal across their two tournament matches.

Abilene Christian struck in the fourth minute when Amelia Miller scored after the Wildcats recovered the ball twice in front of goal following LeVasseur's deflection of a corner kick.
 
The Wildcats doubled their lead late in the first half as Emma Taylor received a pass from the corner, held off her defender, and sent the ball across the face of goal to a cutting Aliyah Anderson, who finished to give Abilene Christian a 2-0 halftime lead.
 
Down 2-0 at halftime, the Colonels fought their way back into the match. EKU fired seven shots in the second half, putting four on goal, and cut the deficit in half just seven minutes after the break.
 
Regan Reilly found Rachel Phifer in the left corner, where Phifer beat her defender and picked out Emma Wolf in the box. Wolf slipped past her defender and fired into the top of the net in the 52nd minute to make it 2-1.
 
Wolf's goal was EKU's 31st of the season, breaking the single-season program record of 30 shared by the 2016 and 2025 teams.
 
The Colonels kept pressing after Wolf's goal and had their best chance to equalize in the 71st minute. Rachel Phifer lifted a pass over the Wildcats' back line to Ana Manning in the six-yard box, but Manning couldn't get a clean touch on the ball, and it was saved by Bella Medrano.
 
Abilene Christian sealed the title after a Wildcats goal kick glanced off an EKU player's head and bounced toward the Colonels' penalty area. Shakira Kafero-Roberts tracked down the ball and lifted a shot over LeVasseur to cap the 3-1 win.
 
The Wildcats move on to the NCAA Division I Women's Soccer Championship and await their placement in the field, which will be announced during the NCAA Selection Show at 4 p.m. ET Monday.