SOUTH EUCLID, Ohio – In the final game of the regular season the Notre Dame College and Urbana University women's soccer teams were playing for home field advantage in the first round of the playoffs. NDC came out on top 3-1 to secure the No. 2 seed in the MEC North.
 
The Falcons started the game off strong, keeping the ball on their offensive half for the majority of the first half, but it was Urbana who struck first. Alyssa Edwards got free for her 12th goal of the season to put the Blue Knights up 1-0, but the one-point advantage would only last momentarily.
 
Notre Dame came back on the offensive, and less than two minutes after UU's goal, Alyssa Soltis scored for the Falcons off a pass from Michelle Escobar. Neither team would be able to score in the remainder of the half to go into the break all tied up.
 
The offensive pressure proved too much for Urbana to handle in the second half. NDC out-shot their opponents 17-4, including 8-3 in shots on goal.
 
Soltis would once again nail in a shot off a solid pass, this time from Lauren Chaney. Chaney, setting up the game-winning goal was thinking of just one thing.
 
"A couple practices ago, coach Shiels mentioned that we needed to work on wrapping our foot around the ball so that was the only thing going through my head," Chaney said. "I just wanted to make sure we had a good opportunity."
 
With three goals and two assists, Soltis has now scored eight points in the last six games, coming on strong in the end of the season.
 
"As the season's gone on, she's just seemed more and more comfortable in what she does well," said head coach Mike Shiels on Soltis's evolution this season. "She's taking advantage of what is in front of her."
 
Andrea Spinelli sealed the win for Notre Dame with a goal in the 88th minute. Spinelli gathered a corner kick from Katja Josipovic to find the net. Burying their visitors with the third goal, Spinelli and Josipovic not only ensured a home game in the first round of the MEC Tournament, but also sent the senior class off with a victory on Senior Day.
 
In the final game of the season, Notre Dame honored their senior class of Stine Austad, Lauren Chaney, Alexandria Gayle, Brooke LeForce and Logan Siefke. Coach Shiels was happy to share the moment with all those celebrating.
 
"It's always special to finish the season with a win," Shiels said. "We always finish our years with Senior Day, but this was a nice one because it had some meaning to it. It secured home field advantage for us and to do that while we're celebrating our seniors, with their parents here, was great."
 
Chaney echoed the sentiment, playing in one of her final games.
 
"There was a lot of emotion with it because I've been playing for 18 years and now it's coming to an end," she said. "Getting the win was so nice, it was great to see us come together as a cohesive unit."
 
Notre Dame will host Urbana again on Tuesday, November 12, at 1 p.m. The quick turnaround makes the home field advantage that much more important.
 
"Our game is coming up on Tuesday and we didn't want to travel and be back on the road again," Chaney said. "It's a huge advantage to be on our home turf with the next game less than 48 hours away."