A penalty kick shootout is perhaps the cruelest way for a soccer game, or any sporting contest for that matter, to end. It can also generate joyous celebrations like no other.
 
TMU Women's Soccer can attest to both.
 
After experiencing the pure elation of winning a penalty shootout last weekend, the Mustangs' fortunes turned on Thursday, as top-seeded Westmont eliminated fourth-seeded Master's on penalties, 5-4, after the two teams battled to a 1-1 draw through two overtime periods.
 
"I thought the girls did what we asked them to do and made it very difficult for Westmont," Master's Head Coach Curtis Lewis said. "PKs are tough and I really thought that once we made it there we would advance, but God really wanted to teach our girls some lessons through not advancing."
 
Master's started the game brightly, with Emma Hopkins hitting the crossbar from a tough angle. TMU then took the lead over No. 16 Westmont when the two Mustang wingbacks combined to put the visitors ahead.
 
Goalkeeper Ariana Romero's punt was flicked on by Elizabeth Radmilovich to Hannah Cumming, who dribbled inward before spraying the ball wide to the right wingback Brandi Meyer.
 
Meyer's service went across the face of goal and found an oncoming Jordyn Bingaman at the back post, for Bingaman to blast into the back of the net for her fourth goal of the season.
 
"It was a great goal from Jordyn and a really great cross from Brandi to put us up 1-0," Lewis said.
 
TMU's one-goal lead held up for 28 minutes of play, as Westmont found an equalizer just over 10 minutes into the second half.
 
"The goal we gave up was a bummer as it was a clearance that hit one of their forwards and went straight into the net," Lewis said.
 
Hopkins and Meyer forced saves out of the Warrior goalkeeper in the second half, but neither team was able to tack on a second, forcing overtime.
 
In the first overtime period, Romero came up with perhaps the biggest of her 10 saves in the match when she smothered a potential one-on-one opportunity that could have won the Warriors the game right then and there.
 
"To hold the No. 16 team in the nation to a single goal shows a lot of character from our group," Lewis said.
 
Master's pushed forward on a couple occasions in the second overtime period, sending Kyndel Borman over-the-top of the opposing defense. One of Borman's efforts was swatted away for a corner kick, while the other went wide.
 
But neither the Mustangs nor the Warriors allowed the other to score, meaning a penalty shootout was required to separate the two sides.
 
Both teams made their first two spot kicks, with Hopkins and Borman burying their attempts for Master's. Westmont converted their next penalty, before TMU's next PK went wide left. The Warriors also scored their fourth attempt, meaning Payton Williams had to make hers to prolong the shootout, which she did.
 
Westmont had its first chance to win by scoring their fifth penalty, but Romero came up with a clutch save to keep Master's alive. Radmilovich then converted her penalty to extend the shootout past five and into sudden death. The Warriors found the back of the net on their sixth PK, before Westmont's keeper saved the Mustangs' sixth attempt to end the match.
 
Master's finishes the season with a 9-3-5 overall record. After a three-game losing streak in the middle of GSAC play, TMU rallied off three-straight shutout wins to earn the fourth seed in the GSAC Tournament.
 
After advancing past the first round, the Mustangs came painfully close to making their first-ever GSAC Championship appearance in program history.
 
"We had those rough three games in the middle of GSAC and then haven't lost since then," Lewis said. "Overall, I think it was a respectable season from this group. I've appreciated their hearts for the Lord and even when the ugliness of sin rears its ugly head, I feel like we really worked through repentance and being a good teammate.
 
"It's not a perfect program by any means, but we are a program that is striving to honor the Lord on and off the field."