The Lipscomb women’s soccer team secured its third consecutive Atlantic Sun Championship title and an automatic NCAA Tournament berth on Friday, Nov. 13.
The sixth-seeded Bisons defeated the top-seeded Florida Gulf Coast University Eagles 1-0 in the championship match, as reported by Yahoo Sports.
Lipscomb freshman forward Haylee Dean scored the game’s only goal in the 69th minute.
The scoring opportunity arose after FGCU goalkeeper Madara Bome missed the ball, allowing Dean to tap it into the net, according to the Fort Myers News-Press.
FGCU head coach Jim Blankenship expressed frustration regarding the play, noting that the team had limited defensive errors throughout the match.
“It’s 50-50 ball, goalkeeper comes out, looks like she gets kicked,” Blankenship said.
Despite the Eagles controlling 60% of possession and outshooting the Bisons 28-6, they were unable to overcome the deficit.
Lipscomb goalkeeper Sunnie Woodard, who was named the tournament MVP, recorded 10 saves to maintain the clean sheet.
This victory marks the first ASUN title for Lipscomb under the leadership of first-year head coach Kathleen Paulsen.
“So proud of this group, so proud of just the way they’ve been putting it together at the end of the season,” Paulsen said.
The Bisons finished the season with a 9-4-7 record, while the Eagles concluded their campaign at 11-3-5.
FGCU had previously won eight titles overall, with their last championship occurring in 2023.
The two programs have dominated the conference, combining to win 12 of the past 13 tournament titles.
Reflecting on the loss, Blankenship stated, “It’s one mistake, and they capitalize on it, the outlets reported.”
Lipscomb now advances to the NCAA Tournament to represent the Atlantic Sun Conference.