PITTSBURGH, P.A. - Women's soccer capped off its historic season as national runner-up following a 3-1 loss in the National Championship against top-seeded UC-Clermont, Monday.
The Cougars started with the majority of possession early, creating the game's first scoring opportunity when Reece Odrobina fired a shot that was saved by Lynx goalkeeper Hailey Knight. Clermont continued their offensive threats early, earning a corner kick and firing a shot that was stopped by Knight.
Despite the early opportunities, the Lynx struck first when Piper Flood found the back of the net in the 19th minute. Late in the half, Clermont added more offensive pressure, earning three corner kicks while adding a trio of shots in a six-minute stretch. The Cougars got their breakthrough in the 41st minute when Kaylee Rose blasted a shot past Knight to even the score at one apiece headed into halftime.
NHTI's top ranked defense stood tall to open the second half, blocking a pair of shots within the first ten minutes of the second 45. The Lynx offense had some opportunities of their own, but the Cougars' goalie Jordan Geis was up to the task, stopping a Flood shot in the 61st minute.
Clermont's second goal of the game came off a counterattack when Kaylee Rose drove along the byline and found a cutting Alexis Taylor who scored to give Clermont its first lead of the title match. The Cougars continued to control the pace of play and 15 minutes later, Taylor delivered the knockout blow with her second goal of the game. With the win Clermont finished as national champions for the third straight season.
"Having so many upperclassmen on the roster really helped us out all year, especially this past weekend," said head coach Heidi Crockett. "At this same tournament last year we played nervously. This year we were much more composed, even when things got tough in the third game. To me, that speaks volumes as to how tight knit of a group this is and how much everyone respected each other. The team chemistry was huge for our success this year and it resulted in them being national finalists."
The 2025 Lynx are historic, finishing as national runner-up for the first time in program history, while notching 14 wins, second most all-time. The Lynx also featured four All-Americans and ranked top six for every team statistic, both offensively and defensively, in USCAA Division II.
"It is so surreal," said Crockett. We had just won our first game at USCAA nationals last year, the jump we made being the No. 2 seed, going undefeated in pool play without giving up a goal and making the national championship...I am still trying to wrap my head around it. This group is so special, and the best part is that they embrace this. They worked hard to make their success happen, and I love that they will always be remembered as the team that accomplished this."
