Clock strikes midnight on Simpson's Cinderella run

DUBUQUE, Iowa – The lowest-seeded team to make the Iowa Conference Tournament Championship fell just short of becoming the lowest-seeded team to win the championship, as the Simpson women's soccer team dropped a hard-fought, 1-0 match to No. 2 Dubuque Saturday evening at the Rock Bowl.

Sara Fassbinder's 11th goal of the season proved the game-winner for Dubuque (15-5-1), which earns the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Championship.

After Fassbinder's goal in the 35th minute, Simpson (11-8) picked up the attack, outshooting the Spartans 9-6 for the remainder of the contest. In a final effort to tie the contest, Simpson attempted a flurry of six shots in the final 20 minutes.

"The way we played at the end of the year is a real credit to these girls," interim head coach Greg Velasquez said. "They handled themselves very maturely and everyone bought in to what we were trying to accomplish."

Velasquez took the reins as head coach early in the preseason after spending four years as an assistant.

The team struggled out of the gate, going 2-4 in its first six matches while battling through a number of injuries. After the slow start, the Storm went on to win 7-of-9, putting them in a position to win the conference championship on the final day of the regular season against Loras.

Simpson lost a heartbreaker against the Duhawks, giving up a goal with 35 seconds remaining in the second overtime to drop to the No. 5 seed in the Iowa Conference Tournament. But the team came together in the postseason, notching a pair of 1-0 wins against Wartburg and top-seeded Luther in becoming the lowest-seeded team to play for the conference crown.

"We had 22 players all working together toward the same goal and it showed on the field," Velasquez said. "I couldn't be more proud of these girls and what they accomplished this season."

Goalkeeper Megan Petersen made a pair of saves in the championship match after recording back-to-back shutouts in the first two contests of the tournament.

In the waning moments of the match, Simpson had opportunities to force extra-time, but came just short. On a dangerous cross attempt, Ashlee Krider banged a shot off the crossbar in the 74th minute. Just over a minute later, Mollie McMahon's sliding attempt went wide of the goal.