IT'S A WIN! Eutectics fight their way past Stephens to reach AMC Semifinals

ST. LOUIS, MO – In what has been a season filled with program firsts, you can add advancing to the American Midwest Conference Tournament Semifinals to the list. Tuesday afternoon at St. Louis University High, the Eutectics added yet another victory to their program-record win total this year with a 2-1 decision over Stephens in the AMC Tournament Quarterfinals. It is the first-ever win for UHSP in the AMC Tournament and with it they earn a berth for the first time to the tournament semifinals. Rylee Mirth had the go-ahead goal on what has become her specialty this season, scoring off a free kick from distance. The Eutectics were awarded a free kick from outside the left corner of the 18-yard box and Mirth snuck a lofted ball over the head of Stephens keeper Petra Brncova and under the cross bar for the eventual deciding goal.

GAME HIGHLIGHTS:

UHSP 2, STEPHENS 1

• UHSP fell behind 1-0 when the Stars leading scorer Moriah Carnahan scored her 13^th of the season 15:33 into the game. It was some nifty passing to enter the box from Ava Leininger and Kayln Apodaca that set up Carnahan for the goal.
• It took less than ten minutes for the Eutectics to even the score. As the Eutectics had the better of the looks in the first half outshooting the Stars 7-4 in the half, Izzy Rogers centered a ball from the right wing across the Stephens goal. Brncova came out to try and break up the pass, but it was out of her reach. That left Lyla Stegmann all alone from six yards out for an easy tap-in goal to tie the game at 1-1. For Stegmann it was her 11^th on the year and she has scored in six of the last eight games. Stegmann had seven shots in the contest.
• For Mirth, it was her third goal of the season. She has scored in back-to-back games and three of the last five.
• Lyla Stegmann just missed twice at giving UHSP some much-needed breathing room. Stegmann twice had shots ring off the frame. She hit the post with a shot in the first half and the post again with a shot in the second half.
• UHSP outshot Stephens 19-9 in the game and 7-6 in shots on goal.
• Susan Bradford got the call in net for UHSP and played the full 90 minutes making five saves to improve to 2-0 on the year.
• Petra Brncova likewise made five saves for Stephens, but fell to 5-8-1 with the loss.
• With the victory, UHSP avenged a 5-4 regular season loss the Stars just nine days ago and moved to within two wins of Stephens in the all-time series as the Stars lead 7-5-1.
• The only other time UHSP advanced in the AMC Tournament was the 2020-21 season. They moved past Hannibal-LaGrange on penalty kicks before losing to William Woods 5-1 in the Quarterfinals that year. Despite advancing past the Trojans, the conference does not recognize that as a win due to the regulation tie 

NEXT UP:

The Eutectics (9-4-1, 3-2-1 AMC) will get a taste of the conference tournament semis and another shot at 1-Columbia. The Cougars handled UHSP 7-1 on October 11, but the Eutectics were without their top defender in Campbell Slemmer who was injured in pregame warmups that day. The rematch comes this Friday at 6:00p with the winner advancing to the AMC Tournament Finals. On the other side of the bracket 2-William Woods and 3-Harris-Stowe will battle in another semifinal. The Eutectics beat the Eagles in the regular season and tied the Hornets.