Bailey Cascio lifts Mavericks over Jackrabbits in semifinals

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BROOKINGS – Omaha’s Bailey Cascio netted the third hat trick in Summit League Women’s Soccer Championship history and helped get the Mavericks going early during a 3-1 defeat of top-seeded South Dakota State in the semifinals Thursday afternoon at Fishback Soccer Park.

The sophomore from Omaha, Neb., opened the scoring in the 11th minute, tapping in Brylie Meyer’s cross, which deflected off Jackrabbit goalkeeper Maggie Smither.

Cascio headed in Taylor Gelling’s cross in the 31st minute to make it 2-0.

SDSU finished with an 18-6 advantage in shots, including 5-3 on goal. It totaled 13 corner kicks to UNO’s two.

The Jackrabbits controlled play in the second half, outshooting the Mavericks 14-1.

Carina McLennan scored a goal in the 51st minute to get SDSU on the board. The junior midfielder knocked in a rebound after Leah Manuleleua fired a shot.

Despite being on the offensive for much of the period, SDSU could not find the equalizer.

With the Jackrabbits scrambling, the Mavericks’ Kiana Dualan gathered the ball near the box and set up Cascio’s final tally with 15 seconds remaining.

“I thought we were pressing a little bit too much to make the big-time play in the first half and it kind of got us out of rhythm a little bit,” said SDSU coach Brock Thompson. “I was really happy with the way we played in the second half. I thought we were dominant; I thought we moved the ball well; I thought we played our way. I really thought we’d flip the game around.

“I’m proud of our team for being able to regroup from that standpoint, unfortunately we just weren’t able to find the second goal late in that game.”

UNO’s Erin Bunker stopped four shots to earn the win in goal. Smither was not credited with a save.

“It’s always hard whenever you score two goals (early) on the road like we did and have to defend a lead,” Omaha coach Tim Walters told the Summit League. “We knew it was going to be a tough, tough second half. It was going to be a bend, don’t break (type of half).
“Thankfully, we held on. We defended for our lives and I was really, really proud of how hard the girls worked over the course of the game.”

South Dakota State, the regular-season co-champions with Denver, finished the year with a 12-6-1 record.

Omaha (8-10-2) takes on Denver in the final Saturday at noon.

Notes: UNO had 12 fouls and SDSU seven. … Cascio’s hat trick was the first in tourney history in nearly 17 years. Oral Roberts’ Tessa Long scored three goals in a semifinal match against Valparaiso on Nov. 9, 2001 in Tulsa, Okla. The Golden Eagles’ Jodi Kirkhuff accomplished the feat in a semifinal versus IUPUI on Nov. 6, 1999 in Indianapolis. … SDSU beat Omaha 1-0 at home in the regular-season matchup Oct. 19. … The Jackrabbits fell to 9-6 in 10 tournament appearances. They are 3-3 in the five tourneys contested in Brookings. The event was also played in town in 2009, 2010, 2012 (did not qualify) and 2015. … SDSU has won four tourney titles (2008, 2014-16) and won or shared six regular-season crowns (2008-09, 2011, 2014, 2017-18). … The Jackrabbits also lost in the semifinals in 2010, 2011, 2013 and 2017. They fell in the final in 2009.

  •  Denver 3, North Dakota State 0

Natalie Beck scored on a penalty kick in the first half, and Samantha Feller and Camryn MacMillan notched second-half goals to lead the second-seeded Pioneers (12-5-2) past the Bison (9-7).

Cheyenne Shorts and Meg Halvorson had assists.

Brittany Wilson made four saves to earn the win in goal. NDSU’s Monica Polgar stopped five shots.

Denver held a 14-13 edge in shots, including 4-3 on goal.