HOUSTON – The top-seeded Trinity University women's soccer team won the 2024 Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference Championship with a thrilling 1-0 double-overtime win in the SCAC Tournament Final over #2 seed Texas Lutheran University on Sunday afternoon.

Michaela Bosco (Weatherford, Texas / Weatherford) netted the game-winner with 4:25 remaining in the second overtime, slamming the ball into the net to bring the entire Tiger team onto the field in celebration of the victory. Clara Richards (Buffalo, N.Y. / Williamsville South) was credited with the assist as she broke free into open space near the 18-yard box and then sent in a cross to the front of the goal for Bosco's one-time volley to win the title.

The Tigers (16-1-2) won the conference title for the 28th time in school history and for the fifth consecutive year in the SCAC Tournament. Trinity has not allowed a goal in the conference tournament since 2016 and has won 14 of the 16 tournaments in the history of the SCAC. Both teams played an outstanding game that lived up to a championship-level contest. This was the third meeting between the two this season and this is the second Tiger win to go with an early-season tie with the Bulldogs. Trinity has now won 13 consecutive games heading into the NCAA Tournament.

Trinity held a 14-9 advantage in total shots and had five shots on goal, but most of that difference came in the first half of play. Texas Lutheran was just one shot short of Trinity in the second half and both overtime periods and had two of its three shots on goal in the second half. Tiger goalkeeper Lauryn Lewis (Carrollton, Texas / Creekview) needed three saves to earn her 12th shutout of the season, which is tied for the fourth-most in school history for a single season. Lewis tipped two of those on-target shots over the goal and off the crossbar to help preserve the clean sheet and keep her team from falling behind.

Texas Lutheran nearly won the game in the first overtime period, breaking free around Lewis in the 97th minute. The ensuing shot was inches away from a score as it glanced off the left post. Just 90 seconds later, Trinity had a chance of its own in the box, but the shot was saved by Texas Lutheran to send the game to the second overtime. The only shot of the final period for the Bulldogs sailed over the bar just two minutes after the restart. Trinity's best look of the period turned out to be the difference as the Tigers carried the ball out of its defensive half and worked up the left side. Madisyn Barganski (Corpus Christi, Texas / Flour Bluff) fought for control in the attacking third, finding Richards on the edge of the box to set up the game-winning play.

Accolades
Bosco was named the Tournament's Offensive MVP and Lewis brought home Defensive MVP honors. It is the second such honor for both players as they also won the awards after the 2022 Tournament. Bri Werner (Woodbine, Md. / Glenelg) was also named to the All-Tournament Team.

Up Next
Trinity will receive the SCAC's automatic bid to the NCAA Playoffs and will await tomorrow's NCAA Selection Show to find out the location and opponent for the opening game. The Tigers have reached the national tournament 29 times in their history, including 15 consecutive appearances with today's win.