Courtesy of Midland Athletics
JAMESTOWN, N.D. – Midland University traveled to the University of Jamestown for the second round of the Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) Tournament on Saturday afternoon. The fourth-seeded Warriors went down 3-0 in the first half but stormed back in the second to tie the match, but the top-seeded Jimmies’ game-winning goal spoiled the comeback putting the remainder of the 2022 season in limbo.
The Warriors came out aggressive on offense with three shots in the first 10 minutes before the Jimmies answered with shots of their own. Kassandra Noguera was the first to make a successful shot attempt in the game, putting Jamestown on the board in the 17th minute. Gabby Sarkis and Cassandra Diaz followed suit as they found the back of the net to put UJ up 3-0 in the first half.
In the 52nd minute, Midland goalkeeper Hannah Tillison was forced to the sideline after a collision between her and a Jimmie going for a rebounded ball off a previous shot. Anastasia Bitzes, who normally plays midfield, was subbed in as the emergency goalie.
Through all of the turmoil, Midland found a spark through Bailey Locano as Arianna Flores assisted the ball into the box for a score in the 61st minute. Less than a minute later Flores struck a shot from outside the penalty area to put the Warriors within one of the Jimmies.
As momentum seemed to shift with the second goal, Brittany Llanes erased the lead from the first half as she put one between the pipes in the 73rd minute to even the score at three.
Jamestown was able to regroup and respond as Diaz picked up her second goal on the day, with the eventual game-winner for the Jimmies in the 75th.
The Warriors outshot the Jimmies 13-12 on the afternoon with Flores firing four shots.
Head coach Cody Bartlow had this to say about the match and the state of the program. “We’re building the culture and the standards of what the program means. The fight back from the girls today was an example that we are a very tough team to beat, that we fight for each other every day, and that we expect to be the team that runs this conference in the future. Moving one step closer is great, however, we felt like we were the best team today. We’ve got to continue to build until we show that day in and day out, game in and game out. I’m incredibly proud of the girls and their resiliency to never give in. We know we have something special that is built around special people”.
Midland has a slight chance of making the NAIA Postseason which was expanded to 40 teams two seasons ago. Their resume features a 10-6-4 overall record and a 7-3-2 mark in the GPAC. They’ll officially learn their fate on Monday, November 14. Regardless of whether they’ll get an at-large bid, the Warriors will look to build on the program’s culture in what will be Coach Bartlow’s third season.
