SEARCY, Ark. — Top-seeded Harding and third-seeded Southwestern Oklahoma State battled through 110 scoreless minutes Sunday afternoon at Stevens Soccer Complex, but the Bulldogs edged the Lady Bisons 4-2 in a penalty kick shootout to capture the Great American Conference Tournament championship.
The match officially ends as a 0-0 draw. Southwestern Oklahoma State (9-3-8) secures the GAC's automatic bid to the NCAA Division II Tournament, while regular-season champion Harding (10-5-4) ends its season.
The Lady Bisons appeared to seize the championship early in the first overtime period. Fourth-year defender Calle Citty rose in the box and headed home a corner kick delivered by Mykala Ulrich, touching off a wild celebration on the pitch. Following a video review, however, game officials disallowed the golden goal after ruling a foul against Harding in the penalty area, wiping the score off the board and leaving the title match scoreless.
Neither side could find a breakthrough in the remaining extra time, sending the conference final to a penalty shootout.
Southwestern Oklahoma opened the shootout with a conversion from Sarahi Delgadillo, and Citty answered for Harding in round one. After both teams missed in the second round, SWOSU took control. Saoirse Hourigan scored for the Bulldogs, and Ulrich answered to keep the shootout tied at 2-2 after three rounds. Tory Hume converted for SWOSU in the fourth round, and a Harding miss gave the Bulldogs a chance to clinch. Philippine de Sancy stepped up in round five and buried her shot to seal the tournament title.
Sunday's final featured a defensive duel between two of the conference's premier goalkeepers. Willis registered four saves over 110 minutes to secure her 10th solo shutout of the season for Harding. Bulldogs goalkeeper Emma Young matched Willis with four saves across the 110 minutes to record the clean sheet.
Harding outshot Southwestern Oklahoma 16-14, putting four attempts on frame. The Lady Bisons also generated a 7-3 advantage in corner kicks and held 53 percent of the possession.
Katie Jones, Skylar Henley, and Bree Williamson each fired three shots to pace the Harding attack, with Jones putting two on target. Hourigan led all players with six shots (two on goal) for the Bulldogs.
Following the match, the league office announced the 2026 GAC All-Tournament Team. Harding placed three standouts on the squad: Willis, Citty, and Henley. Young was named the Tournament Most Valuable Player after anchoring SWOSU's defense throughout the championship run.
The Lady Bisons, who won the GAC regular-season crown with an 8-2-2 league record, are unlikely to receive an at-large bid into the Central Region Tournament. Conference champions Minnesota St. (Northern Sun), Washburn (MIAA) and Southwestern Oklahoma (GSC) receive automatic bids. The next five highest-ranked teams in the NCAA's NPI rankings will receive the five at-large bids. Harding entered Sunday's game ranked 15th in the Central Region NPI.
