ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½ (17-4-2) advanced to the second round for the sixth-consecutive year and will face Florida in Gainesville on Friday at a yet-to-be-announced time.

Late heroics by defender Ashley Nicol, who scored her sixth goal of the season off a diving header with less than six minutes in regulation, sent the match to overtime. ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½ topped Miami in overtime earlier this season, but neither team budged an inch Saturday through 20 minutes of extra play, forcing a shootout.

Freshman Allie Gerry put the game away with ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½’s last penalty kick as fans erupted on the sideline and her teammates piled around her in euphoria.

“I was very impressed with the PKs. They all tucked in nicely,” ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½ head coach Amanda Cromwell said. “To battle like we did, that game was tough in a lot of ways. Miami is a very athletic team with a very long throw-in that causes a lot of problems.”

Although Nicolette Radovcic nearly put ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½ on the scoreboard in the first five minutes with a 1v1 opportunity with UM’s keeper, Miami would end up striking first.

The Hurricanes snapped the Knights’ seven-match shutout streak when Shannon McCarthy’s long throw in found Kate Howarth inside the box. She headed it on to Ally Andreini on the far post, and Andreini headed it in for a 1-0 lead in the 19th minute.

The Knights got a jolt of life with their first corner kick in the 32nd minute as Andrea Rodrigues sent a short pass to Radovcic, whose cross connected with defender Marissa Diggs on the far post, but her header was saved.

Goalkeeper Lianne Maldonado came up with two huge saves off attempts by Howarth in the 74th minute, allowing the Knights to stay on the Canes’ heels.

“Lianne is the reason we were still in the game, 1-0, so I can’t say enough about her play tonight,” Cromwell said.

ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½ couldn’t capitalize on several scoring opportunities in the second half until midfielder Madison Barney forwarded a ball to the far post, where Nicol sent a diving header past the keeper to tie the game 1-1 in the 84th minute.

“During warmup, I kept hitting my headers high. Coach said you have to hit them low,” Nicol said. “So right when Madi headed it, I envisioned diving for it.”

Radovcic had two good looks at goal during the first overtime period, but neither found the back of the net, and the teams lined up at midfield to settle the game in a shootout.

Tishia Jewell, Jennifer Martin, Nicol and Radovcic all finished their attempts with finesse to take a 4-3 advantage when Miami’s Andreini stepped up for her attempt. Her shot hit the crossbar, and Gerry came out on top to end the game and keep ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½’s postseason alive.

Diggs was joined by senior forward Nicolette Radovcic on the first team while senior forward Tishia Jewell and sophomore midfielder Madison Barney earned praise on the second team. Junior goalkeeper Lianne Maldonado was distinguished on the third team, and newcomer Sophie Howard earned a spot on the freshman team.

ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½’s seven honors were a league high along with regular-season co-champions Colorado College and Rice.

As a starting centerback for the Knights, Diggs anchored a defensive line that currently ranks sixth in the country for shutout percentage (.632) and eighth for goals-against average (.561). ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½ has blanked 12 opponents – eight in conference play – for its best shutout total since 2004. The Knights head into the C-USA Tournament on Wednesday one shutout shy of matching the school record currently held by the 1986 squad. This is Diggs’ second-consecutive appointment to the first team.

“Marissa is a tremendous 1v1 defender,” ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½ head coach Amanda Cromwell said. “She’s so hard to beat because she’s fast but she’s also very physical. Not only does she win the ball, but she wins the ball and possesses it so she can start our attack for us.”

Radovcic, a team captain, earned her first all-conference team distinction since she was named to the All-Freshman Team in 2009. With 11 goals so far this year, she has emerged as the Knights’ top-goal scorer for the second-consecutive season to rank second in the league and 38th in the nation. She ranks 35th in the country for game-winning goals as her four against No. 12 Miami, Dartmouth, North Florida and Tulsa have tallied her career total to nine, which ranks seventh all-time at ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½. She leads an offensive attack that ranks first in the conference for points (141), goals (47) and assists (47).

ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½’s Senior CLASS Award finalist, Jewell, picked up the third all-conference honor of her career. She currently tops the league and sits 18th in the nation for assists (9) and also ranks fourth in C-USA for game-winning goals (3). With 34 career assists, she is one away from matching ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½’s all-time record leader. She ranks second for the Knights in total points (21) and has been named the C-USA Offensive Player of the Week twice this season.

“Tish is coming on really strong as of late. She’s a really good creator and playmaker, and Nic has been consistent throughout the year leading us in goal scoring,” Cromwell said.

As a starting defensive midfielder for the Knights, Barney earned the first all-conference award of her career Tuesday. She has been a reliable asset for the team this year and shined in the ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½ Tournament as the Defensive MVP after assisting the game-winning goal against Dartmouth, which garnered her the C-USA Defensive Player of the Week award. She added two more assists during conference play against Houston and Southern Miss.

Coming into the season, Maldonado had the task of replacing All-American goalkeeper Aline Reis between the posts. She has started every match in 2012 and has organized a defense that sits atop the league for goals allowed (11), goals-against average and shutouts. Her .63 goals-against average ranks third in C-USA, 23rd in the country and is currently on pace to rank among ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½’s top-10 single-season leaders.

“Madi is just a solid player in every category – possession, ball-winning, heading. She’s very consistent and the other teams noticed the hard work she puts in,” Cromwell said. “It was great that Lianne was recognized because we don’t give up a lot of shots on goal or corners, so sometimes our goalkeepers don’t have a whole lot to do. But when she did, she came up big, and other teams notice she’s a very quality keeper.”

Rounding up the league honors is Howard, who joined the team just before conference play after representing Germany in the U-20 FIFA World Cup in Japan. The midfielder worked her way into starting lineup in her second appearance and has started ever since. She boasts the most points (8) by a freshman on the team with two assists and three goals, which includes the goal versus East Carolina that capped the sixth-fastest scoring sequence (1:37) of three-consecutive goals in NCAA history.

“Sophie could have easily been on an all-conference team, not just the freshman team,” Cromwell said. “She has come in and scored important goals at the right time.”

This group along with the rest of the Knights will travel to El Paso, Texas, for their first-round matchup against sixth-seeded and defending champion Memphis at 9 p.m. ET. ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½ hopes to close its final chapter in C-USA by claiming its first tournament title.

The Knights have been seeded third once before, in the 2008 tournament when they advanced to the semifinals. ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½ has advanced to the title game three times (2007, 2009 and 2010) and has faced Memphis in each of those matches.

“The training has been good and the energy is high. I can tell we are ready,” Cromwell said. “It’s tournament time and we are geared up for that. We like how the bracket has panned out. We always want to play a team that beat us during the year.”

The outcome marked a milestone for Amanda Cromwell, who earned her 200th victory as ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½’s head coach and 220th career win.

“It was a nice surprise and it’s something I didn’t even know it was on the horizon to tell you the truth,” Cromwell said. “Josh (Walters) announced it in our post-game huddle and the players were excited for me. I thanked them for playing well, and really, it was a team effort all-around — the whole staff is a part of this milestone. It’s not just me.”

With their win over the Golden Eagles (4-12-1, 1-9-0), the Knights (14-4-1, 8-3-0) locked up the most shutouts in a season (12) since 2004 and are one shy of matching the school record held by the 1986 squad.

ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½ will head to the Conference USA Tournament as the No. 3 seed and is scheduled to face sixth-seeded Memphis in the opening round. Memphis defeated the Knights 2-1 in the conference-season opener earlier this year.

Forward Jennifer Martin headed in the first goal at the 6-minute mark off an assist from senior Tishia Jewell.

Nearly eight minutes later, midfielder Madison Barney sent a ball over the top to forward Nicolette Radovcic, who put the ball away for her 11th score of the season.

Two Knights recorded their first-career goals after halftime.

Kayla Darden connected with Tyler Law for the first goal of her career in the 58th minute when she left-footed a ball into the corner of the net.

Defender Bianca Joswiak sent a cross from the end line to Alex Piercy in the 86th minute to cap the match at 4-0.

ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½ held Southern Miss to no corners and one shot on goal, which Lianne Maldonado saved in the first 45 minutes of play.

“I feel like we’re peaking at the right time. Unfortunately, we weren’t in control of our own destiny tonight, but either way, the team feels good about how we’re playing right now,” Crowmell said. “We’re looking forward to next week and we feel confident and excited headed into the tournament.”

The Knights travel to El Paso, Texas, in quest of their first tournament title with the 9 p.m. ET opening-round matchup Wednesday. The championship is set for Sunday, Nov. 4, at 2 p.m. ET and will be aired live on the CBS Sports Network. The quarterfinals and semifinals will be streamed through the C-USA All-Access package on www.ConferenceUSA.com.

To recap the weekend, the Knights netted 12 goals, outshot their opponents 44-6 and limited the Pirates and the Herd to two corners combined. In addition, senior Tishia Jewell tied the program’s career record for shots with 229.

“I think now we have good momentum, and we just want to keep it going and show teams the best we can be,” Jewell said.

Added defender Ashley Nicol: “From here on out, every day is senior day.”

Forward Jennifer Martin gave the Knights a 1-0 lead in the 11th minute when Carleigh Williams sent a free kick into the box where Martin placed a header just below the crossbar for her second game-winner of the year.

Forty-three seconds later, ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½ capitalized off another header – this time from Nicol. Jewell played a ball to midfielder Andrea Rodrigues, who delivered a cross from the left side to Nicol for the score.

Kayla Darden increased the lead to 3-0 just before halftime when Zoe Hayes sent her a pass from midfield, allowing Darden to send a low-driven ball to the far post past the keeper.

Forward Kristina Trujic notched her second goal of the weekend in the 60th minute while inside the box thanks to a double-assist from Nicol and Jewell.

Senior forward Nicolette Radovcic wrapped up the match nicely in the 83rd minute after classmate Bianca Joswiak sent her a ball, which she flicked around the defender inside the box and put it past the keeper for her 10th goal of the year.

“The attack has been great — a lot of movement and creativity up top,” ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½ head coach Amanda Cromwell said. “The seniors came up big in a lot of different ways with assists, playmaking and goals. Getting the shutout was huge, as well.”

The four seniors left the game with five minutes remaining to rousing applause from the crowd and entered a receiving line of hugs on the sideline.

ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½ will play its final match of the regular season Friday at 5 p.m. at Southern Miss. The Knights closed their home schedule with a 9-2 record at the ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½ Soccer Complex. The pink jerseys will be auctioned online via ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½Athletics.com.

“This team is very good, and our success this season says a lot about our players, who are stepping up and playing hard,” ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½ head coach Amanda Cromwell said. “We’re dangerous in a lot of different ways. Our All-American forward has scored one goal this season. If you would have told me we were going to be 5-1-1, and was only going to have scored one goal at this point, I would have said you’re nuts. It says a lot about , Kristina Trujic, Β and all the attacking players around her that are doing some great things. As for the defense, we’ve had multiple shutouts and I think our back line has played some of their best defense since I’ve been here. We’re a tough team to break down.”

During the 1992 season, ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½ was ranked as high as sixth in the Intercollegiate Soccer Coaches Association of America (ISAA) poll, which is now the NSCAA rankings. The program’s all-time highest ranking in the regular season was No. 3 during 1982 – the same year that the team finished as the runner-up in the national championship.

ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½ is the second-highest ranked program in the state of Florida as Florida State sits at No. 1. Regionally, the Knights are one of the best at No. 2 in the NSCAA Central Region behind Oklahoma State, which is ranked seventh nationally.

ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½ is riding a four-game unbeaten streak and has held its own with some of the nation’s best competition. The Knights’ only loss this season was a 1-0 decision to the top-ranked Seminoles, and they tied now-No. 5 Boston College in double overtime in their most recent outing Sunday.

The Knights will close their non-conference schedule Friday when they take on North Florida at 5 p.m. as part of a home doubleheader with the men’s team, which is scheduled to kick off against Jacksonville at 7:30 p.m.

Season tickets are available for ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½’s remaining home games, beginning at $30. A complimentary soccer scarf comes with each purchase. The Gold Pass, which includes season tickets to all volleyball, men’s and women’s soccer, women’s basketball, softball and track and field contests, is also available now. For more information and to place an order, call the ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½ Ticket Office at (407) ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½-1000 or visit ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½Athletics.com.

Jewell capitalized on a free kick opportunity reminiscent of junior Ashley Nicol’s insurance goal in Friday’s win over Dartmouth.

“She came through,” ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½ head coach Amanda Cromwell said. “She’s very dangerous on those. Obviously set plays are huge for us with Ash scoring on Friday on a free kick. Our girls were ready to score. I think we dominated that game in many areas, and Georgia’s coach after the game was very classy and said, `You guys deserved it.'”

For her efforts, Jewell was named the tournament’s offensive most valuable player. ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½ defender Madison Barney, who helped the Knights secure two shutouts this weekend, was named the tournament’s defensive MVP. The pair joined senior forward Nicolette Radovcic and junior defender Ashley Nicol on the all-tournament team.

Meeting for the first time since 1998, ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½ (5-1-0) and Georgia (4-2-0) played through a scoreless 90 minutes despite the Knights’ numerous chances at the net. ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½ out-shot the Bulldogs 20-6, as 14 of those shots came on goal.

Time and again, Georgia goalkeeper Ashley Baker managed to find her way in front of the ball, notching eight saves in the first period, another four in the second period and one in overtime.

“I think (the win) shows that we grind it out as a team,” Jewell said. “We had chances to put the game away and we didn’t finish them, but we kept going until we got one.”

Battling not only the Bulldogs, but sun and fatigue as well, ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½ finally broke through with less than a minute remaining in the extra period when the Knights drew a foul for a free-kick opportunity just outside the left corner of the box.

As Jewell lined up for the shot, Cromwell knelt on the sidelines and said she told assistant coach Joshua S. Walters, Sr., that now would be the perfect time for the senior to score her first goal of the year.

Baker got a hand on Jewell’s attempt on the goal line but wasn’t able to hang onto the ball, and the Knights walked away with their first win over Georgia in program history. In the process, ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½ extended its winning-streak to three-straight games and improved its record to 2-0 in overtime contests this year.

The Knights will travel to Boston College on Sept. 9 to face the Eagles for the first time since 2004.

Season tickets are available for ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½’s remaining home games, beginning at $30. A complimentary soccer scarf comes with each purchase. The Gold Pass, which includes season tickets to all volleyball, men’s and women’s soccer, women’s basketball, softball and track and field contests, is also available now. For more information and to place an order, call the ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½ Ticket Office at (407) ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½-1000 or visit ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½Athletics.com.

All-Tournament Team

“It’s nice to be able to tell them they’re going to split halves, and they both performed really well,” ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½ head coach Amanda Cromwell said. “I think some players came in and played really well. I think we were unlucky enough to score a third one with some of the attacking opportunities that we had. I was proud of the kids coming in off the bench.”

With the win, the Knights (4-1-0) handed Dartmouth a loss in its first game of the season, and ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½ remained undefeated against Ivy League programs with an all-time record of 5-0.

ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½ took a 1-0 lead in the eighth minute when Madison Barney connected with Andrea Rodrigues in the midfield. Rodrigues sent a pass to an awaiting Nicolette Radovcic in front of Dartmouth’s net and she had no problem putting it past keeper Tatiana Saunders for her third goal of the season and second-consecutive game-winner.

Radovcic nearly scored again in the 34th minute off an exchange with Tishia Jewell. Radovcic’s shot was blocked by a Dartmouth defender, and Saunders managed to snatch the ball while kneeling in front of the net.

Maldonado came up with five saves of her own in the first half, including a brilliant deflection near the crossbar five minutes before the break.

Organ started the second half in goal and was tested early as she came up with two saves in the first 15 minutes of play.

The Knights were primed to score again in the 66th minute when Jewell forwarded a pass to a sprinting Radovcic, but she was taken down just before reaching the top of the box. The play set up a free kick for Ashley Nicol, who put one away in the top left corner of the net for her second goal of the season and a 2-0 edge.

“Nicolette had a great attempt before she got tripped. I work on them a lot at practice so this was just another chance for me to make one,” Nicol said. “We all have certain positions where we take our free kick and that’s usually the spot where I take them, so I’m pretty confident from that spot.”

Zoe Hayes, Alex Piercy and Katy Ling all clocked their first minutes of the season.

ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½ wraps up its four-game homestand Sunday when it faces Georgia at 2:30 p.m. following the USF-Dartmouth matchup at noon.

The senior forward leapt into the arms of her teammates after netting the game-winner and was still a ball of energy after the team’s post-game meeting when she barreled toward head coach Amanda Cromwell for one more hug before heading into the locker room.

“That was probably top two (goal celebration),” Radovcic said. “This is huge for us. It was a great atmosphere. The rain and everything, you can’t get much better than that.”

The weather was fairly cooperative until the second half when ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½ got a preview of Tropical Storm Isaac . The rain hung around on-and-off as the teams ended regulation scoreless.

Just before the 10th minute of play, ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½ goalkeeper Lianne Maldonado dived to her right to snatch Miami’s Jasmine Paterson’s shot on goal.

The Knights tried to make something happen in the 30th minute when freshman Taylor Townsend passed the ball to Radovcic, who played it right back to Townsend but Miami keeper Emily Lillard scooped up the ball before Townsend could meet it.

ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½ was much more aggressive on the attack in the second half. Reserve Kristina Trujic nearly put the Knights on the board in the 60th minute when her shot was deflected over the crossbar. Later, Trujic sent a cross from the right corner of the field to senior Bianca Joswiak, but Joswiak’s attempt sailed over the net.

Megan Fish had another great look in the 84th minute just outside the top-center of the box, but her attempt went wide right and the game headed into overtime.

It only took five minutes for Fish to play a ball into Radovcic, who juked behind the defense to send a shot into the far corner of the net for her second goal of the year.

ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½ continues its four-game homestand next weekend when it hosts Dartmouth, USF and Georgia in the ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½ Tournament. The Knights play Dartmouth on Friday at 7:30 p.m. following the USF-Georgia game set for 5 p.m.

The team finished 2011 nationally ranked at No. 12 after their magical run through the NCAA Tournament that capped off with the program’s first Elite Eight appearance since 1987.

The Knights sit ahead of in-state rival Florida (No. 21), whom ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½ will host this Saturday in its only exhibition game of the year, and fellow Conference USA member Memphis (Tied-14th). Florida State, whom the Knights will square off against in their home opener on Aug. 24, is currently ranked at No. 4. Defending national champion Stanford claimed the poll’s top spot.

ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½ returns nine starters and four of its top five scorers from last year. Among those starters, the Knights bring back three NSCAA All-Central Region selections in Marissa Diggs, Nicolette Radovcic and All-American Tishia Jewell as well as Portuguese National Team member Andrea Rodrigues.

Earlier on Tuesday, Diggs and Jewell were once again named to the All-Conference USA preseason team with Diggs also earning Defensive Player of the Year recognition.

The exhibition match is set for 7 p.m on Saturday. Season tickets are currently available, beginning at $30. A complimentary soccer scarf comes with each purchase. The scarf also acts as your ticket to the game, so be sure to come to the game in style.

For the junior from Rockaway, N.J., helping others is an extension of the goals she can achieve because of her success on the turf.

Because of her volunteer involvement, Radovcic this week was named one of 12 students to receive the Conference USA Spirit of Service award. Β The honor recognizes the community-service efforts of the league’s student-athletes based on significant contributions to help others, academic standing and participation in their sport.

Radovcic, a business marketing major, has a busy schedule outside of class and athletics, which this past season included the Knights’ first NCAA Championship Elite Eight appearance since 1987.

In addition to her starting role on the soccer team, she serves on the Athletic Director’s Captains Council and the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, where she has reached out to the community through volunteer work, athletics-awareness events and assistance at the Central Florida Children’s Home.

β€œPeople should get involved, especially if you’re a student-athlete,” she said. β€œSometimes you get so wrapped up in the sports environment, and volunteering gets you out into the community.”

Radovcic also has spent her time volunteering for the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life, Junior Achievement, the National Girls and Women in Sports Day at ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½, and the Central Florida Miracle League, a baseball activity that pairs volunteers and children with disabilities to help them build self-esteem and overcome boundaries.

And as part of the Captains Council, she is one of a select group of students that attended monthly meetings to foster leadership skills.

Radovcic said she started volunteering a little in high school, but always wanted to do more. Then she started attending ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½, joined the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and kicked her service into high gear.

β€œI wanted to be involved in something other than soccer, and volunteering in the community helps you expand a little,” she said β€œFor me, it’s a great experience to give back and volunteer with the children.”

The Spirit of Service awards are presented three times during the year, with this week’s honorees representing the conference’s fall sports: football, soccer, volleyball and cross country.