Senior midfielder Lucy Newlin, wearing old-school black-and-white Copa Mundial soccer cleats, took a short run-up then sent her penalty calmly into the right corner, clinching the University of Washington's 5-4 shootout victory over top-seeded Virginia on Sunday and advancing the Huskies to the Elite Eight for the third time in program history. It's the farthest Washington has gone since 2021, and they're now just one win away from their first-ever College Cup appearance.
Goalkeeper Tanner Ijams saved Virginia's first penalty attempt, setting the tone for what followed. Anna Menti, the younger sister of Seattle Reign midfielder Sally Menti, buried the team's first attempt. Julia Hüsch, Alex Buck, and Samiah Shell each converted their shots, leaving Newlin to deliver the decisive kick.
It's the sixth consecutive penalty shootout victory for Washington, dating back to 2010, continuing a streak that now includes their Big Ten Tournament championship win just two weeks ago. That championship match came just two days after the team learned that Mia Hamant, their beloved teammate and former starting goalkeeper, had passed away from a rare kidney cancer at age 21.
The Huskies have been playing for Hamant all season, dedicating this tournament run to her memory. They wore orange wristbands and ribbons—the color of kidney cancer awareness—throughout Sunday's match. They will wear them again on Friday, Nov. 28, when they face No. 11-ranked Duke in the Elite Eight, which earned a No. 2 seed in the tournament. The game kicks off at 3 p.m. PT at Koskinen Stadium in Durham, North Carolina, and will be streamed on ESPN+.
Susie Rantz
Sunday's match against Virginia began with promise for the Huskies. Kalea Eichenberger unleashed a rocket from just outside the 18-yard box in the 12th minute, finding the upper corner to give Washington an early 1-0 lead.
They carried that advantage into halftime, with the shot count relatively close at 6-4 in Virginia's favor. But the second half required everything the Huskies had. Virginia dominated possession and racked up 23 shots from the start of the second half onward, compared to just two for Washington. The Cavaliers equalized eight minutes into the half when Addison Halpern placed a shot into the bottom corner.
Washington had a small period of momentum when they earned a penalty in the 62nd minute when Buck was fouled inside the box by Virginia goalkeeper Victoria Safradin. Jadyn Holdenried stepped up to take it, but Safradin made the save and quickly recovered to stop Shell's follow-up attempt as well.
The match took a dramatic turn in the 80th minute when Eichenberger was shown a red card after elbowing a Cavalier midfielder near the neck on a throw-in, forcing Washington to play the final 10 minutes of regulation and both overtime periods down. With their season on the line, the Huskies dug in. They defended with everything they had—heart, determination, and a little help from the woodwork—holding Virginia scoreless for the next 30 minutes to force penalties.
On Sunday, Ijams continued what Hamant started. As a junior last season, Hamant ranked third nationally in save percentage and made three big penalty saves to help the Huskies advance to the Big Ten semifinals just a year ago. Ijams, who learned from Hamant and calls her a mentor, has now made critical saves in back-to-back penalty shootouts to keep the season alive.
"Mia's been with us the whole time," head coach Nicole Van Dyke said after the Big Ten championship, where UW players lifted their jerseys to reveal "For Mia" written underneath or kissed their orange wristbands after scoring in the shootout. "She's a part of everything we do and she will always be."
Washington will face No. 2 seed Duke in the Elite Eight on Friday. The other teams remaining in the tournament are No.1 seed Vanderbilt, No. 2 seed TCU, Ohio State, No. 3 seed Florida State, No. 1 seed Stanford, and No. 2 seed Michigan State.
Friday's Elite Eight match will be another tough test, but the Huskies have already exceeded expectations, winning the regular season and conference championship in just their second season in the Big Ten conference.
This team has proven they're not satisfied yet.
One more win, and they'll make history.
For Mia.
