SOUTH EUCLID, Ohio – 90 minutes was not enough to separate the Notre Dame College women's soccer team {10-5-3) and West Virginia State University (11-5-3) during the quarterfinal round of the Mountain East Conference on Sunday afternoon. The Falcons and Yellow Jackets battled into overtime, as WVSU came out on top 2-1 on Mueller Field.
 
WV State controlled the first half of the match, including tallying the opening score in the 12^th minute off a free-kick. Paula Herold gifted the Yellow Jackets a 1-0.
 
Determined to level to the score, Notre Dame came out of halftime with a burst of energy. In the 50^th minute, Maridza Desir laced a long-range shot on goal, requiring WV State keeper Laura Galindo to leap and make the save. As a result, Miriam Szijarto was in the right place at the right time, as the junior corralled the rebounding shot, before burying the ball into the back of the net for an NDC equalizer (1-1). The goal marks Szijarto's 18^th of the season, tying the Notre Dame College single season record with Barbie Chester of 1996.
 
The Falcons continued to mount opportunities over the remainder of the period, as Madison Marino, Ashley Rainho, Sophia Motolese and Desir posted shots. However, the contest carried the 1-1 score into overtime.
 
NDC opened extra time with a pair of dangerous shots by Rainho in the 91^st and 93^rd minutes, but Galindo was there for WVSU.
 
West Virginia State scored the game-winning goal in the 94^th minute as Ammy Mwasambu received a pass from Esther Dhiramo before finishing, 2-1.
 
Despite the loss, Notre Dame produced double-digit wins this season for the first time since 2019, including their most conference wins since 2018. The Falcons extended their streak to 11 consecutive seasons of making the MEC Tournament, as NDC has appeared in the postseason each year since joining the league in 2013.
 
NDC's success was in large part due to Szijarto's team-leading and MEC-leading 18 goals scored this year, a top three provision in the entire country. In addition to tying the NDC single season record, the Ravenna, Ohio native is second in program history with 39 points this season. Moreover, the Archbishop Hoban High School product is tied for the second-most goals and the fourth-most points in MEC single season history.
 
On the other side of the ball, goalkeeper senior Jordan Pasalaqua wraps up an illustrious career, as the Madison, Ohio native is the Notre Dame College career leader in game played (80), minutes played (7,174), wins (37) and saves (345), while being second in shutouts (27). The Madison High School product picked up four more saves today, totaling 88 on the year, fifth in program history.
 
Fellow senior Drew Barr also called it a career with 75 matches and 5,688 minutes played, both seventh in program history.
 
As a team, Notre Dame owned 12 shots including six on goal, as Rainho took a team-high four shots. The Falcons added four corner kicks and four saves on the day. WV State had 13 shots and six on goal, to go with three corners and five saves.
 
The Notre Dame College women's soccer team heads into the offseason as the Falcons return to action in August of 2024.