By Nicholas Huenefeld/Owens Sports Information

Brevard County, Fla.---The Owens Community College women's soccer team scored three second half goals en route to a 5-2 win over No. 7 Pima (Ariz.) Community College in National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Division I National Tournament pool play today.

With the win, Owens picked up its first national tournament victory in regulation. The team won a game via penalty kicks in last year's tournament. The team is now 1-1-2 in national tournament play over the past two seasons.

"When we conceded early, they could have rolled over," said Owens head coach Kenny Hewitt. "But they didn't. They came back. We had confidence in ourselves. Today we came out and showed what we are capable of."

Pima's Shannon Shields, who came into the game with 20 goals this year, scored in the fifth minute to put her team up early. Haley Malaczewski (Central Catholic/Toledo, Ohio) answered back in the same minute, however, to tie it up.

Malaczewski would score again in the 30th minute to give Owens its first lead. Pima got a corner kick late in the half, though, and converted it into a Rachel Ridlinghafer goal to tie the game going into the half.

In the second half, Owens got goals from Jordyn Wright (Riverdale/Forest, Ohio), who struck a left footed shot into the top right corner of the net in the 62nd minute, and Shelby Antonacci (Lake/Perrysburg, Ohio), who scored via a penalty kick. Malaczewski was taken down in the box to create the PK opportunity. The team's third goal came via an own goal from a shot by Dominique Cruz (Northwood/Northwood, Ohio)

Kendyl Christian (Clay/Oregon, Ohio), who assisted on Malaczewski's first goal, had one goal called off in the second half, while Malaczewski missed on a penalty kick attempt.

Due to those missed chances, and coupled with yesterday's 4-0 loss to No. 2 Monroe College, Owens is eliminated from pool play due to goal differential despite the win.  Monroe College takes on Pima Community College tomorrow in the final game of the pool. A Monroe win or a draw would move Monroe into the semifinals, while Pima would have to win by four goals to advance.

Chelsie Randolph (Start/Toledo, Ohio) saved a single game program record 17 shots in goal for Owens, which finished the season 14-5-2 with the win. Angelica Gonzalez made four saves for Pima, who fell to 16-6-2 with the loss.

With her two goals today, Malaczewski finishes the season with a team-high 13 goals, along with nine assists. Wright finishes with seven goals and 10 assists. Antonacci finishes with four goals and seven assists. Christian finishes the season with eight goals and two assists. Kayla Lehmann (Bedford/Temperance, Mich.), who assisted on Wright's goal via a throw-in, picked up her second assist of the season. Jessica Kreger (Bedford/Temperance, Mich.), who assisted on Malaczewski's second goal, picked up her second assist of the season to go along with six goals. Randolph finishes the season with 121 saves and a 1.30 goals against average.

Notes

This year's sophomore class closed out an historical two-year run in which they captured back-to-back Region XII tournament championships, back-to-back trips to the NJCAA Division I National Tournament and a sixth place finish at last year's national tournament. They picked up the program's first Region XII tournament championship, the first appearance at the national tournament and the first national tournament win. Overall, they finished 31-7-4 in two seasons.