MILWAUKEE, Wisc. - The IUPUI women's soccer team's incredible 2023 campaign came to a close on Thursday night (Nov. 2) as the Jaguars were tripped up in the semifinals round of the Horizon League Tournament at Milwaukee's Engelmann Stadium. IUPUI (11-3-5) played Northern Kentucky to a 1-1 double overtime draw before ultimately falling in penalty kicks, 4-3. 

With the win, NKU (8-3-8) advances to the championship game against top-seeded Milwaukee while the Jaguars close at 11-3-5 on the year. 

IUPUI needed some late heroics to force overtime as sophomore Sarah Henson slid home an equalizer in the 87th minute to force overtime after NKU had taken the lead in the 63rd minute. Emma Antoine got free up the left side and centered a pass to freshman Caroline Kelley. Kelley delivered a short pass to Henson, who capped her long run up the middle of the field by sneaking a shot just inside the post for her first score of the season. 

"I'm just really proud of how we battled throughout the entire game. We never gave up and the goal in the 87th minute was an entire team effort," Henson said. 

Neither team was particularly dangerous in either overtime period, setting the stage for the penalty kicks. 

IUPUI fell behind early with a misfire on the opening attempt. From there, teams traded conversions as Emily Tobin, Kelley and Carlie Werner all found the back of the net in succession. Needing a stop on NKU's fifth attempt, Cailynn Junk dove left and redirected an attempt off the post, keeping things level at 3-3 heading into IUPUI's final attempt. However, NKU goalkeeper Mickayla Kowalski stopped Sam Slimak's attempt to send the Norse to the finals. 

Slimak just missed finding the game's first goal early in the second half, testing Kowalski with three early shots on frame, including volleying a bullet into the belly of the NKU keeper from in close in the 50th minute. 

NKU drew first blood early in the second half when Natalie Newman got free on a counter in behind the IUPUI defense. A through ball set the table and Erykah Cornett shifted a pass to Newman, who easily rolled a shot past Junk for a 1-0 lead. 

IUPUI pressed for an equalizer as head coach Chris Johnson urged his team to continue to connect passes and make aggressive runs. The strategy paid off as Henson, a starting back, scored with 3:25 left in regulation.  

The two sides played to a second draw this season and were virtually even for all 110 minutes on Thursday. NKU outshot the Jaguars 14-13 while IUPUI earned a 7-5 margin in corner kicks. Each side was whistled for 10 fouls in a relatively clean match. 

Slimak finished with a team-high five shots and Kelley and Antoine had three apiece. Junk registered seven saves in making her third straight start to finish the season. 

"We had such a special senior class and it's going to take a lot of hard work in the offseason to fill their shoes next year," Henson said. 

IUPUI finished the season with 11 victories, marking the program's most since winning 12 times in the 2019 season.