SHEPHERDSTOWN, W.Va. — No. 4 West Virginia State (16-4-3, 11-2-2 MEC) saw its impressive season come to an end on Sunday in the NCAA Division II Atlantic Regional semifinals, falling 2-1 to No. 1 Shepherd (17-1-4, 13-1-2 PSAC) at the Shepherd Soccer Complex. The Yellow Jackets' historic run ended after a hard-fought battle that lasted just over two hours in front of 190 spectators.

Shepherd struck first, taking a 2-0 lead into halftime as the Yellow Jackets worked to find their rhythm offensively. West Virginia State drew level in the 68th minute when Leila Karam found the back of the net off a setup from Sandra Linares.Goalkeeper Laura Galindo made three saves in the net during her final game as a Yellow Jacket. The senior from Bogota, Columbia was a four year starter and amassed 324 saves and 28 career shutouts.

State dominated the shot count, out-shooting Shepherd 17-8, and held the edge in possession, but nine fouls and two yellow cards disrupted their momentum. Despite creating several chances, the Yellow Jackets were unable to produce a late equalizer.

This defeat marks the end of an outstanding season for West Virginia State, which included their first ever Mountain East Conference tournament title and their second ever berth in the NCAA tournament. The Yellow Jackets can take pride in their achievements and look forward to building on this successful campaign next year.