Arizona Western Women’s Soccer Falls in Overtime, Finishes as National Runner-Up
YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) – The Arizona Western College Women’s Soccer team finished their incredible season as the national runner-up in the 2024 National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Division I Women’s Soccer Championship. The Matadors (19-1-1) lost 2-1 in overtime to Daytona State College (18-3-0) on Saturday at the Scheels Stryker Sports Complex in Wichita, Kansas.
Daytona State opened the scoring just five minutes into the match when Sienna Gillespie converted a shot to put the Falcons up 1-0. However, Arizona Western answered in the 33rd minute when defender Mariany de Souza sent a perfectly placed strike into the net, assisted by Kei Yoneda, tying the game at 1-1.
The Matadors faced a major setback in the second half when defender Leigha Dobbins was shown a red card in the 72nd minute, leaving them to play a player down for the remainder of the match. Despite this disadvantage, the Matadors controlled much of the game but couldn’t find the go-ahead goal.
In overtime, Daytona State’s Shaneil Buckley delivered the decisive goal just four minutes into extra time, sealing the championship for the Falcons.
Arizona Western outshot Daytona State 20-14, with 11 of their shots on target compared to six for the Falcons. Matadors goalkeeper Iyan Hernandez recorded four saves during the match.
The Matadors’ impressive run marks another milestone for the program. While the season didn’t end with a championship, their performance throughout the year solidifies their status as one of their division's elite teams.
