JACKSON, MS- Millsaps scored seven unanswered goals and knocked off the Berry Vikings 11-7 to advance to the Southern Athletic Association Quarterfinals.
The win improved the Majors to 9-4 on the season and sets the school record for wins in a season. The Vikings' season ends at 9-6.
Berry controlled the ball and slowed the game down in the first half. The Vikings scored 90 seconds into the game and again five minutes later to take an early 2-0 lead. It remained that way for nearly 10 minutes until Libbie Faulconer had a great individual effort to score and make it a 2-1 game.
Millsaps tied the game on a Molly Ambrose free-position shot with seven minutes left in the half. The teams then traded free-position goals 20 seconds apart, with Sarah Hawthorne scoring with just over two minutes left in the half. The teams were tied at three after a defensive-minded first 30 minutes.
The second half opened up a bit offensively as the Majors pressed the issue. Alyssa Smith batted in a pass from Molly Ambrose three minutes into the half to give Millsaps its first lead of the game. Moments later, Smith fed Katie Iskra for the first of her three goals on Saturday. Millsaps kept pouring on the offense, making a 5-3 game into a 9-3 game with four goals in a 10-minute span.
The Millsaps' defense shined in the second half, holding Berry scoreless and to just a pair of shots in the first 20 minutes. Iskra and Adriana Lopez-Esteban answered the two goals Berry scored with about six minutes left. The Vikings added two late goals to close the gap but the Majors booked their trip to Sewanee for the semi-finals.
Millsaps outshot Berry 27-19 and Whitney Smith played a strong game in net, making seven saves. Alyssa Smith led the Majors with five ground balls and Millsaps also owned a near-identical 28-19 advantage over the Vikings.
The win sends the fourth-seeded Majors to the SAA semi-finals, hosted by Sewanee. The conference semi-finals will be played on Saturday with the finals on Sunday. Game times have not been determined.
