As the final buzzer sounded, the members of the Lindenwood Lions women’s soccer team came together at midfield jumping up and down and hugging one another emotion swallowing the entire team, knowing they had just pulled off one of the most dramatic comebacks in the most important game of their 2024 season.
The Lions had found themselves down 2-0 at the half to Morehead State but came out and played arguably the best 45 of their entire to roar back, scoring three second-half goals to clinch their first ever Ohio Valley Conference championship in school history. In only their third year apart of the OVC, and a year after finishing last in the conference and having never even made it past the first round of the conference tournament, the Lindenwood women’s soccer team proved everyone wrong. The team walked away with their first OVC soccer championship, and the first OVC championship in any sport in university history.
The three goal scorers were freshman phenom Mackenzie Compton, Anna Johnson, and the goal that put the Lions ahead was courtesy of Tasneem Dizdarevic. It was an all-around team effort though, as Lindenwood kept putting constant pressure on Morehead State in the second half until they were eventually able to break through with goals of their own. The team was also able to keep the ball away from the Eagles, not letting them extend their lead any further.
It was a pretty uncharacteristic first half from the Lions, as Morehead State struck first in the 21st minute on an unfortunate own goal miscue by the Lions giving, the Eagles a 1-0 lead. Compton had a great chance to even the score in the 23rd minute, going up top but going off the crossbar and out. Things looked even bleaker for the Lions when, in the 33rd minute, a breakaway from the Eagles forced Lion goalie Caroline Ritter to vacate her goal. The play ended with the ball deflecting off a couple of players, before spinning right in front of an open Lions goal. Lindenwood tried to clear the ball, but Hedda Ornberg beat them to it and easily tapped the ball in to extend Morehead State’s lead to 2-0. While Lindenwood outshot Morehead State 10-5 in the first half, they found themselves down 2-0 at the half and were in need of a huge second-half comeback if they wanted any chance at winning a championship.
With their backs against the wall coming out of the half, Lindenwood knew they had nothing to lose and everything to prove. The energy that came out of the break quickly translated into a quick goal, as in the 50th minute Mackenzie Compton went top left corner from 10 yards out. The goal cut the Lions’ deficit in half and showed that the Lions weren’t going to go down without a fight.
Things got chirpy midway through the second half, with Morehead State picking up two yellow cards, both coming in the 62nd minute as Morehead State thought they might be able to out-physical Lindenwood in order to secure the win. Lindenwood would not back down though, but as time ticked away it looked like the magical run for the Lions might be over. However, Anna Johnson wouldn’t let that happen. In the 83rd minute, Georgia Pardalos found Johnson open on the left side at the top of the box. Johnson had a very nice first touch, pushing the ball towards the goal and getting the defender on her back. Eagles goalie, Lily Bailie, came out to try and block Johnson’s incoming shot. Johnson, however, perfectly timed her shot and sent it right through the legs of Bailie tying the match at 2-2 and bringing a new life to the Lions. The goal was the sixth of the season for Johnson, and by far the biggest.
With the match now tied at 2-2 the Lions could’ve easily wavered back, and elected to play for overtime, but the Lions wanted to win it in regulation. Just three minutes after Johnson tied it, Lindenwood was fouled in the box, setting up a potential go-ahead penalty kick for the Lions. Tasneem Dizdarevic stepped up to take the kick and with the game on the line, she hammered her shot in the upper left corner, fooling the Eagles goalie who instead dove to the right. The goal gave the Lions their first lead of the match at 3-2, with four minutes left to play. Those four minutes seemed to last forever, with the Eagles furiously trying to score their own equalizer but alas it never came as the buzzer sounded, and the Lions team embraced at midfield celebrating an OVC championship. Ritter did her part in the second half making four saves and shutting out the Eagles to secure the win.
Lindenwood had four members named to the 2024 OVC All-Tournament team, including Compton who added to her stellar freshman year campaign by being named the OVC tournament MVP. She scored three goals during the tournament to lead Lindenwood to the title. Compton was also named the OVC freshman of the year. Pardalos, Rachel Jackson, and Eyglo Thosteinsdottir joined Compton on the All-Tournament team due to their contributions for the Lions during the tournament.
Unfortunately, this is where the Lions women’s soccer season ends, as even though they won the OVC title and therefore clinched an automatic bid in the NCAA tournament, due to Lindenwood still being in the “period of transition” from the D-II to D-I level, Lindenwood is still not eligible for NCAA tournament play. It’s a bittersweet ending to an otherwise great season for the Lions women’s soccer team, who return with 22 of their 25 players from this year’s team, and will look to be the first repeat OVC champions since SIUE did it three times from 2020 to 2022.
