OREM, Utah –The third-seeded University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) women's soccer team advanced to the semifinals of the Western Athletic Conference Tournament with a 4-3 win in penalty kicks over No. 6 CSU Bakersfield after finishing in a scoreless draw on Wednesday at Clyde Field.
 
UTRGV (12-5-3, 6-1-1 WAC) advances in the WAC Tournament for the first time in program history to face No. 2 Seattle U on Friday at 4 p.m. Fans can watch the match at watch parties that will be held at University Drafthouse located at 2405 W. University Dr. in Edinburg and at Casa Bella in Brownsville located at 2651 FJRM Ave.
 
Junior Diana Ansah converted on UTRGV's sixth attempt to secure the penalty kick victory as she snuck the shot past CSU Bakersfield goalie Jordan Bertram (6-7-2).
 
After 110 minutes of scoreless soccer, CSU Bakersfield (6-10-2, 3-4-1 WAC) took the early lead in penalty kicks after Evelyn Daly and Sabrina Delgado converted on their kicks.
 
UTRGV got on the board on its second attempt as senior Tuva Rolstad Nilsen converted on the kick. 
 
Junior Kinga Szemik (9-5-3), who made five saves on the match, blocked an attempt by Aminah Settles, which allowed junior Katherine Stokely to convert her kick to tie penalty kicks at 2-2. 
 
Szemik came through with another block on Aryana Harvey's attempt and then freshman Emily Zapata followed by putting her attempt in the back of the net to give UTRGV the 3-2 lead. 
 
Caitlin Goetjen answered with her kick going off Szemik's hands and into the goal on CSU Bakersfield's fifth attempt tying penalty kicks at 3-3. Szemik couldn't convert on her attempt but bounced back to block Carol Lake's attempt setting up the winner by Ansah.
 
It was a pretty even matchup for both teams as UTRGV outshot CSU Bakersfield 14-12 with both teams putting up five shots on goal.

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