Bell and Kleinow help Panthers advance to SCIAC Championship

CLAREMONT, Calif. – An improbable season took a nearly impossible turn as the Chapman University women's soccer team advanced to the SCIAC Tournament championship on penalty kicks at Pomona-Pitzer. Senior Kristin Kleinow stopped all five Sagehen PK attempts while senior Katie Bell drove in the lone goal of a 1-0 decision in penalty kicks.

After 90 scoreless minutes and two scoreless overtime periods, both goalkeepers flexed with more dominance as the first seven combined shootout attempts were saved. Kleinow and Corey Goelz matched each other through the first three rounds and Kleinow made the stop in round four.

Bell stepped to the spot for the Panthers in the fourth round and blasted a shot to the upper 90 for the only shot that reached the back of the net in the whole match. Kleinow stepped up with her fifth shootout save to send the Panthers into a celebrating frenzy.

The Panthers played 110 minutes of scoreless soccer behind a dominant performance from Kleinow. She made 10 saves through regulation and overtime, not including the five stops she made in the shootout.

The Sagehens peppered the Chapman goalkeeper with 19 shots, including several point blank saves for Kleinow and the defense.

Pomona-Pitzer never reached the back of the net, hitting the crossbar twice and being denied by Kleinow 15 times in the match.

The Panthers managed to fire off eight shots with five of those coming in the overtime periods. Goelz made four saves and stopped three shootout attempts.

The Panthers advance to the SCIAC Tournament championship on Saturday and will play at the winner of tonight's Claremont-Mudd-Scripps and Cal Lutheran matchup.

by Steven Olveda
Sports Information Director

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