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SALT LAKE CITY – The 24th-ranked Westminster College women's soccer team won the 2011 Cal Pac/Frontier Tournament in dramatic fashion on Saturday afternoon at Dumke Field.  Westminster earned the automatic invite to the NAIA National Championships with a 2-1 decision over Carroll College in penalty kicks.

The game officially ended in a 0-0 tie after neither team could manage a goal in the 90 minutes of regulation of through 20 minutes of overtime.  The second half and all of overtime were played with standing snow on the field that slowed the pace of the game and limited the opportunities for either team.

The penalty kick session began with Westminster (12-6-2) keeper saving a shot by Kailey Edgar.  Jaime Nelson would then step in for the Griffins and put her shot outside the post.  Molly Clark would then be stopped by Winter-Nolte before Corie Walch would miss the frame on her attempt for the Griffins.  Lynnsey Janes of Carroll would go third and her shot was off target which led to Justine Jones being turned away by the Carroll keeper Erin Volz.

The first goal of the shootout came on the fourth attempt by Carroll.  Kelsey Dye hit a solid strike to the right of Winter-Nolte and into the netting.  Margo Hickman would answer for the Griffins with a shot past the reach of a diving Volz.  Carroll's leading scorer Meghan O'Connell would then step up and push her shot too far right and set up the final shot for Heather Hillam of the Griffins.

Hilliam would send Westminster to it's first-ever trip to the national tournament with a shot that found the back of the net to the right of Volz.  Hilliam is the all-time scoring leader at Westminster and was playing at home for the final time of her career in this game.

Westminster would finish the evening with a 10-8 advantage in shots attempted and out four of those attempts on frame.  Carroll had a 4-1 advantage in corner kicks and the Griffins were whistled for 10 fouls.  Dayna Winter-Nolte made three saves while recording her ninth shutout of the season.

Westminster will receive word of the opening round opponent before 6 p.m. on Sunday from the NAIA national office.  The first round of the tournament is played on campus sites around the country with the winners advancing to the final site in Decatur, Ala.