LA CROSSE, Wis. - A little bit of premature winter weather couldn't slow down the Ashford University women's soccer team to open postseason play.

The fifth-seeded Saints answered the call in resounding fashion, pulling a 5-2 upset over No. 4 seed Viterbo University on the road to advance to the Midwest Collegiate Conference Tournament semifinal round.

Ashford now travels to Davenport for a semifinal clash against top-seeded St. Ambrose University on Saturday, Nov. 7, which defeated eighth-seeded Mt. Mercy College this afternoon, 7-2.

AU Head Coach Mick Regan guided his squad on a snowy Saturday to avenge a regular-season defeat at the hands of the V-Hawks that halted an eight-game win streak and was the Saints' only loss in September. AU ended Viterbo's season at 7-10-1.

The Saints' offense was in sync and frontliners Cassandra Broderick of Bettendorf, Abbye Garcia of Stillman Valley, Ill., and Chelsea Fisher of Calgary, Alberta, did more than enough against the Viterbo defense.

Broderick and Fisher each scored two goals, Garcia sandwiched the game-winning score in the 74th minute and junior Erika Jakobsen of Rock Island, Ill., added two assists.

Broderick also had two assists for a season-high six points in the match. She scored the game's first and last goal, putting Ashford on the board first in the 10th minute.

Viterbo tied the game at 1-all with the first of Lauren Turinetti's two goals just four minutes later, but Fisher responded with a go-ahead score in the same four-minute span.

Fisher scored Ashford's lone goal against Viterbo in the regular season-matchup.

The V-Hawks tied it again shortly after the second half started, but Garcia answered for Ashford at the 74:03 mark. The Saints kept offensive pressure on goalkeeper Stephanie Stacey with Fisher and Broderick tacking on insurance goals in the waning moments.

AU goalkeeper Kylie Willet of East Moline, Ill., made four saves as AU outshot Viterbo, 16-11. Stacey was replaced with four minutes to go by backup Natalie Christensen.

The Saints will face the Queen Bees of St. Ambrose next Saturday in Davenport for their semifinal bout. AU was edged out in the regular-season meeting to SAU, 2-1 at home (Oct. 6).

View Box Score

Women's Soccer Midwest Collegiate Conference Tournament Results
Saturday, Oct. 31 (Quarterfinal)
No. 1 St. Ambrose def. No. 8 Mt. Mercy, 7-2
No. 5 Ashford def. No. 4 Viterbo, 5-2
No. 2 Clarke def. No. 7 William Penn, 3-0
No. 3 Grand View vs. No. 6 Waldorf (Result not available)