PENSACOLA, Fla. – In 2018, Montevallo lost to West Florida in the Gulf South Conference tournament championship match, a loss that hasn't sat well with the Falcons ever since. On Friday night, the second-seeded Falcons exorcised the demons from that loss, advancing past No. 6 West Florida, 5-4, on penalty kicks in the semifinals of the GSC Tournament at Ashton Brosnaham Athletic Park. Montevallo (13-3-4) and West Florida (12-5-1) went to penalty kicks after playing to a 2-2 draw through 110 minutes.

Montevallo now faces No. 4 Lee (16-4) in the championship match Sunday at 3 p.m. Lee defeated top-seeded Mississippi College, 1-0, in the night cap Friday. 

The Falcons struck first, getting its first goal right on the half-hour mark when Kira Bochard netted her sixth goal of the season on a header off a corner kick by Medhali Hernandez. However, West Florida equalized less than seven minutes later on an Annie Rolf goal set up by a Peyton Peffers assist.
 

Montevallo did have a chance to take the lead late in the first half, earning a penalty kick, but GSC Player of the Year and West Florida keeper Esthefanny Barreras stopped the attempt to keep the match level at halftime.
 

The score stayed 1-1 until the 71:05 mark, when Hernandez herself scored her third goal of the campaign on a header off a Vic Whitehouse assist. The Falcons' lead lasted all of 41 seconds, as Montevallo was called for a foul in the penalty area and Anita Danielsdottir converted the subsequent penalty kick for the Argos to make it 2-2 with 18-plus minutes left in regulation.

Neither team was able to find the back of the net over the remainder of regulation or in the overtime periods, sending the match to a penalty kick shootout. Neither team scored in the opening round of penalties before both sides converted in rounds 2 and 3 to go into the fourth round of kicks tied at 2.

In the fourth round, West Florida's shot went over the crossbar while Espy Sanchez converted to give the Falcons a 3-2 advantage. However, in round 5, West Florida converted and Montevallo's penalty was saved, sending the match to sudden-death penalties tied at 3. Both teams scored in round 6, making it 4-4 going into round 7.

The seventh round saw West Florida's shot stopped by Montevallo keeper Annie Mason and Hannah Waki converted her penalty to send Montevallo through to the finals and avenge the loss in the 2018 championship match.

Mason stood tall in goal all night as the Argos peppered her with 24 shots, 14 of which were on goal. Mason, who entered the match leading the GSC in save percentage and goals against average, stopped 12 shots for the Falcons in regulation and overtime and made another two saves in the shootout.

30' | Kira Bochard scores the opening goal of the match off an assist by Medhali Hernandez to give the Falcons a 1-0 lead.

37' | West Florida's Annie Rolf ties the match with her seventh goal of the season on an assist by Peyton Peffers.

72' | Hernandez pushes Montevallo back in front, 2-1, with her third goal of the season.

72' | Anita Danielsdottir converts a penalty kick for the Argos to tie the match at 2.

PKs | UWF: Danielsdottir (saved), Armstrong (good), Vance (good), Wooten (miss), Rolf (good), Quixley (good), Garcia-Salas (saved); UM: Hernandez (saved), Lino (good), Stevens (good), Sanchez (good), Mason (saved), Bochard (good), Waki (good).

Montevallo (13-3-4 overall)

West Florida (12-5-1 overall)

Montevallo will now face No. 4 Lee in the GSC Tournament championship match Sunday at 3 p.m.