EDWARDSVILLE – A scoreless draw after double overtime against Eastern University was enough for the Wilkes University women's soccer team to clinch a place in the Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) Freedom Semifinals on Senior Day at Schmidt Stadium Saturday.

The tie brought Wilkes' overall record to 10-2-3 and the No. 8 team in the NCAA Division III Mid-Atlantic Region poll is now 4-1-1 in MAC Freedom games. Eastern is now 7-5-4 overall and also 4-1-1 in the conference.

The Lady Colonels controlled the majority of the play and created numerous close scoring chances throughout the 110 minutes of action. For the game, Wilkes outshot Eastern 21-4 and by a 4-1 margin on goal. The Lady Colonels also had seven corner kicks to four for the Eagles.

It was the ninth shutout of the season for a stout Wilkes team defense. Junior goalkeeper Courtney Stanley (Yardville, NJ/Steinert) recorded her eighth shutout of the season and career to move into a tie for fifth on the Wilkes career shutout list.

Senior Micaela Oliverio (Carlisle, PA/Trinity) hit the left post with a shot in the 14^th minute on the Lady Colonels first close opportunity of the game. At the 17 minute mark freshman Catherine Gregoire (New Cumberland, PA/Trinity)'s header off a corner kick was saved by the Eagles goalkeeper. In the 36^th minute Emily Wirth (Vestal, NY/Vestal) corralled a loose ball from the goalkeeper but her shot went wide to the right of the goal.

The chances continued in the second half for Wilkes. A great cross by senior Elena Denger (Nazareth, PA/Nazareth) was deflected just wide by junior Lauren Esser (Camp Hill, PA/Cedar Cliff) in the 58^th minute. Freshman Elise Brubaker (Northumberland, PA/Shikellamy) then hit the crossbar in the 79^th minute.

Stanley's one save in the game was a big one in the 87^th minute when she dove to her left to make a stop and send the game to overtime.

The closest chance of the game for Wilkes came 5:43 into the first overtime when a shot by Denger beat the keeper but hit the inside of the right post then deflected and hit the inside of the left post but never crossed the goal line.

After an Eastern yellow card with 44 seconds left in the first overtime Esser's free kick went just high. Chances for both teams were hard to come by in the second 10 minute overtime period and eventually the full-time whistle was sounded to signal the tie.

Before the game Wilkes honored its senior class with Denger, Oliverio, Ema Sabovic (Brodheadsville, PA/Pleasant Valley), Olivia Schlottmann (Poughkeepsie, NY/Our Lady of Lourdes), Dianna Connor (Effort, PA/Pleasant Valley), Julia Tyler (Fieldsboro, NJ/Notre Dame), Emily Sutton (Shavertown, PA/Lake Lehman), and Shelby Trumbo (Landingville, PA/Schuylkill Haven) all drawing starts in the game.

Wilkes returns to the field on Tuesday, October 24 for a non-conference game at SUNY Cortland at 7:00 p.m. in Cortland, N.Y.