On November 18, 2012, the Emory women’s soccer team turned in perhaps the most spine tingling-, nerve wracking-, pass-me-the-Bromo-Seltzer victory in program history when it defeated Carnegie Mellon in an epic 13-round shootout in the quarterfinals of the NCAA Championships in Pittsburgh.
Heading into the contest, both teams were evenly matched with the Eagles standing 14-1-6 overall with a No. 16 national ranking while the Tartans owned a No. 17 spot in the national polls to go along with their 14-1-4 won-lost slate.
Making its sixth appearance in the NCAA Tournament in Head Coach Sue Patberg's eighth year at the helm of the Emory program, the Eagles opened the postseason with back-to-back victories over DePauw and Centre before venturing to the Steel City where a 2-1 verdict over Loras in the third round set up the clash against its UAA rival.
With two of the nation's top defenses squaring off, the game lived up to its billing, with neither squad able to find the net during regulation or either of the two overtime periods, on limited opportunities. With the Tartans shooting first in the ensuing shootout, Leonard came up with a save on the first shot, allowing Emory to build a 3-2 advantage on made shots by Clare Mullis, Jordan Morell and Jennifer Grant. After Carnegie made its fourth-round shot to even the shootout at 3-3, Emory's missed on its opportunity to keep the ledger even. CMU then found the back of the net hit on its fifth attempt, with Emory junior Lauren Gorodetsky countering with a successsful conversion, knotting the score at 4-4 and sending the shootout into extra kicks.
"During the PKs the Carnegie Mellon football team sat in the corner of the field on the end we were taking PKs and chanted the entire time when our players stepped to take a shot," Patberg remembered. " They were yelling "You're not going to make it, no you're not going to make it" etc. Our players were amazing in their focus to block out the chanting and yelling. I paced behind the team on the sideline, watching at the last moment between heads utterly feeling sick."
Each team made its next three opportunities with Kelly Costopoulos, Emily Feldman and Merrill Bachouros all hitting shots for the Eagles. With the score tied at seven heading into the ninth round, Emory goalkeepr Kaele Leonard picked up her second save of the shootout, cleanly catching Cecilia Zischkau's shot in midair with a full-extension dive. However, with a chance to win, Carnegie goalkeeper Anna Albi made her only save of the shootout, diving to save Caitlin Clark's attempt.
"Our midfielder, Meredith Doherty, had sprained her ankle and she was in our PK line up," Patberg said. "Needless to say, we scrambled at the end of the game to fill her spot and pick the 10 kickers. If I remember correctly, they only give you like 5 or 10 minutes before they commence the PKs. I remember having a conversation with Merrill Bachouros and asking her if she would take a PK. She had not played in the entire game so that was a really big ask. As Merrill always was, she was a total team player, warmed up and scored her pk."
The teams would each make their next three attempts, with Veronica Romero connecting on the next shot, before returning to the top of the order, with Mullins and Morell each converting on their attempts as well.
With the shootout ledger even at 10 apiece heading into the 13th round, Carnegie's Brittany Couture's shot hit off the right post, giving Emory its second chance to clinch. Grant would not disappoint for the Eagles, burying the shot to write Emory's ticket to San Antonio and a spot in the national semifinals.
"Before Jen could take the walk from the midfield line to the penalty spot, Clare Mullins, who stands at 5'11, grabbed Jen by both shoulders and screamed in her face that she could do it," Patberg stated. "I just remember Jen's face and thinking, oh man I'm not sure if that was a good thing. Clearly it was because the rest is history."
Emory would defeat Wheaton, 2-1, in the semis, propelling the team to the school's first-ever appearance in the national title game against Messiah.
The Eagles celebrate after their shootout win over Carnegie Mellon in the quarterfinals of the 2012 NCAA Championships.