HANOVER, Ind. â€" A late comeback fell short for Transylvania women's soccer on Saturday, as they dropped a close 2-1 loss to the No. 1 Hanover Panthers in the HCAC Championship final.

"We were able to create a lot of opportunities, particularly in the second half, but unfortunately could not put the ball in the back of the net," said Head Coach Michael Fulton. "Going down 2-0 in the second half is very hard to bounce back from, but, our girls never gave up."

The first half saw a fairly even matchup of two tough conference opponents, matching each other shot for shot and save for save. Transylvania and Hanover netted five shots a piece and two and three saves, respectively.

Junior goalkeeper Jerrica Scovel kept the Panthers off the board early, making a save just 50 seconds into the match off a shot from Hanover's Rebecca Tumlin. It wasn't long before the Pioneers turned up the heat. At the 15- and 16-minute mark, Transylvania made three consecutive shots on the Panther cage, but were each saved by Panther goalkeeper Morgan Cole.

Twenty-seven minutes in, Hanover made their move. Panther's Anna Cornacchione controlled the ball from midfield, penetrating the Pioneer defense, and netting a goal into the left corner of the cage.

The Pioneers managed two additional shot attempts before the end of the half, but were unable to find the back of the net. Hanover headed into halftime with a fragile one-point lead.

"Going into the wind and down one goal at the half, we focused on playing our typical possession-style in the second half," said Coach Fulton.
Focusing on their style of play, the Pioneers started off the second on a high note, given two back-to-back corner kick opportunities. Despite it, Hanover managed to break through the defensive pressure, resulting in a 30-yard bullet into the top corner of the net by the Panther's Cornacchione, her second goal of the day.

Down 2-0, Fulton knew the needed to change their strategy. Focusing on offense, Fulton changed to a 3-4-3 formation that reaped dividends.
With 20 minutes remaining in regulation, the Pioneers hit their stride. Senior Carley Williams chipped a quick cross from the left to junior Alyssa Kruse in the 6-yard box, resulting in a Transylvania goal, keeping their title hopes alive.

In the ensuing minutes of game play, despite several close calls, the Pioneers managed only one more shot on Hanover's net, sealing the 2-1 Hanover victory.

The Pioneers attempted five shots on goal, one each by senior Awbrey Wahle, senior Amy Ghibaudy, senior Michelle Schroeck, Kruse and Williams. Goalkeeper Scovel had an easy afternoon in the cage, recording only two saves.

As of this week, the Pioneers are fourth in the NCAA DIII Great Lakes region, providing placement for a potential NCAA DIII tournament berth via an at-large bid. The Pioneers will find out their fate on Monday afternoon.