Wheaton earns trip to Final Four

The warm weather is just a bonus, although a pretty nice bonus.

Defending NCAA Division III women's soccer champion Wheaton College reserved a trip to Orlando, Fla., and the Final Four with a 2-0 victory against the University of Puget Sound (21-2-1) on a cold, damp Saturday night in Wheaton.

"Oh, we're looking forward to Florida," Thunder junior Erin Hodina said with a laugh. "It's exciting. This team this year, we're really close and enjoy being with each other so much, so the longer this season lasts the better for us."

It was the Thunder's 43rd consecutive win. Wheaton is 25-0-0 this season.

"It's been our goal this year," Thunder coach Pete Felske said of reaching the Final Four. "I thought we had a team that could do it, and they have exceeded our expectations, I think, as far as taking on everybody's best every day, knowing we have a little bit of a target on our back."

Saturday's game was a little closer than most for Wheaton. After a scoreless first half the Thunder tallied its first goal in the 49th minute when Kira Davis' free kick from 40 yards out skipped through a crowd of players in front of the Puget Sound goal and past goalkeeper Kallie Wolfer.

"It hit the turf, skipped through everybody and nobody got a foot on it," Felske said. "Kira, she's good at putting the ball on net. That's what we told them before the game started, if the ball is on frame we have a chance, especially with the weather conditions the way they were."

The second goal iced the game in the 86th minute when Wolfer saved but couldn't control a shot from Libby Passiales (WW South). The rebound bounced to the far post, where the Hodina (Wheaton Academy) and teammate Shannon Wilkes raced to the ball and knocked it just far enough across the line. Officially, Hodina won the race, though she wasn't so sure.

"I was surprised they gave me credit for it because Shannon and I both got equal parts of our feet on it," Hodina said. "It was kind of just lucky that they gave me credit. We were both in the exact same spot and just whacked at it."

Wheaton goalkeeper Kristin Eggert (Glenbard South) made 2 saves for the shutout, but Felske also credited defender Kelly Foltz for her work against Puget Sound attacker Janeoe Levien.

"She's a lot smaller than their player, but Kelly's a fighter," Felske said. "She did a great job."