By Bob Sutton
Special to The Alamance News
Freshman Abby Brinker supplied the decisive tally in a penalty-kick shootout as the Elon’s women’s soccer team captured the Coastal Athletic Association Tournament championship, topping host Stony Brook on Sunday afternoon.
Elon prevailed 6-5 in penalty kicks after the teams played to a 1-1 draw.
Brinker, an Eastern Alamance alum, put her title-winning delivery into the bottom-left corner of the net.
Isa Murdock’s header off Ashlee Brehio’s pass provided Elon’s second-half goal before the Seawolves pulled even with 1:42 remaining in regulation on an own goal. Penalty kicks were used after the teams played 110 minutes.
Elon goalkeeper Kate Bisgrove, who was named the Most Valuable Player, made a save in the seventh round of the shootout before Brinker’s boot ended the drama.
The Phoenix (11-2-7), which clinched an automatic NCAA Tournament bid, has a nine-game unbeaten streak. Coach Neil Payne’s team won the CAA Tournament for the second time, also prevailing in the 2021 spring season (rescheduled from fall of 2020).
On Monday, the Phoenix learned it will travel to Duke (13-4-1), a No. 2 regional seed, for a first-round game at 6:00 p.m. Friday at Koskinen Stadium. The winner will meet Maine (6-7-4) or Central Florida (11-3-5) in the second round next Thursday.
Duke and Elon last met in 2018, with the Blue Devils winning 3-1. Duke topped Elon in the 1999 NCAA Tournament when Elon was the Big South Conference representative.
Men’s soccer
Martin Kozak had a goal and four assists and Elon claimed a 6-4 decision against visiting Campbell in a wild CAA Tournament semifinal Sunday night at Rudd Field.
Elon (8-3-6), which hadn’t scored more than two goals in a game this season, will be home again for the tournament final at 2:00 p.m. Sunday against Stony Brook (9-4-5).
The Phoenix led Campbell 2-1 at halftime on goals from Jordin Wilson and Jahmir Flowers before the teams combined for four goals in a stretch of slightly more than seven minutes. That included a penalty kick for each team, with Kozak converting for Elon.
“It’s one of the most chaotic games I’ve ever been involved in,” Elon coach Marc Reaves said.
Then at 3-3, Magnus Micha Jacobsen put the Phoenix ahead and Dominik Renz and Charlie Kitch continued Elon’s scoring binge before Campbell (10-6-4) notched the final goal.
