NASHVILLE, Tenn. (November 5, 2023) – The University of North Alabama women's soccer team fell to FGCU on Sunday in penalty kicks (3-2) after a 3-3 regulation finish in the ASUN Championship Final in Nashville. The Lions took a three-goal lead into halftime before a second half surge by the Eagles forced the match into overtime. 

The match was the UNA women's soccer team's second appearance in an ASUN title game in the program's six years of participating at the NCAA Division I level.

North Alabama pulled out to an early lead in the 30th minute with an Izzi Gurney-Harper header on a Kellie Hovis corner kick. The Lions struck not long after on a Julia Murdoch goal in the 31st minute on an assist from Olivia Heinert. These were Gurney-Harper and Murdoch's second goals of the season.

UNA extended the lead on Hovis's second goal of the tournament in the 40th minute. Molly Parham and Heinert teamed up for a lob to Hovis, who wrapped up her first season as a Lion with two goals. 

The Lions continued the scoreless streak into the second half before Erika Zchuppe notched the first goal for the Eagles in the 65th minute. Zchuppe found the net two more times in the 67th and 79th minute to bring the match to a 3-3 tie. After two scoreless 10 minute overtime periods, the match would go to penalty kicks where FGCU would outlast the Lions, 3-2. 

North Alabama earned three ASUN Championship All-Tournament Team selections, as Adriana Wright, Briana Eads and Molly Parham took home the honors. Wright and Eads helped power the Lions to two clean sheets in the tournament to bring Wright's season total to 13 — tied for the NCAA lead. Parham turned in two assists in the tournament, including one in the ASUN Final.

The Lions close out a historic season in which the team set the program record for shutouts by a UNA squad with 13, and Wright set the same mark for any UNA individual goalkeeper. Wright also tied the ASUN mark for most shutouts by a goalkeeper in a season. She played every minute this season.

The eleven wins ties the Division I program record for most in a season, matching UNA's 2018 win total. With an 11-5-6 finish, this season marks the highest win percentage for UNA in the Division I era.

For more information on North Alabama Athletics, visit www.roarlions.com and follow UNA Athletics on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.