DECATUR, Ill. - Sophomore Rachel Van Sluys (Sheboygan, Wis.) scored two goals to lead the Carroll University women's soccer team to a 3-0 victory over Millikin University in a College Conference of Illinois-Wisconsin game at Frank M. Lindsay Field on Saturday afternoon.
It was the fifth road victory and 11th shutout of the season for Carroll, which improved to 5-2-1 in conference and 14-4-1 overall.
The pressure-packed performance in the regular-season finale took on added meaning as the Pioneers clinched third place in the league standings and a berth in the upcoming CCIW tournament, becoming the first team from the school to qualify for the postseason since rejoining the conference.
The third-seeded Pioneers are scheduled to face second-seeded Illinois Wesleyan in a semifinal game at Bloomington, Ill. at 7 p.m. Wednesday.
Van Sluys, a 5-foot-10 forward, scored what became the winning goal off an assist from freshman midfielder Cassidy Conner (Paw Paw, Mich.) in the 29th minute for Carroll, which was outshot 13-12 but maintained a key 6-3 shot-on-goal advantage in the contest.
Van Sluys followed with her seventh goal of the season at the 46:37 mark, finishing on a perfectly delivered corner kick by Conner to extend the lead to 2-0.
Sophomore forward/midfielder Delaney Pruitt (Ringwood, Ill.) scored her team-leading 13th goal of the year on a breakaway in the 57th minute for the Pioneers.
Sophomore Elly Diderrich (Mukwonago, Wis.), sophomore Sabrina Sieger (Waukesha, Wis.) and freshman Christina O' Block (Libertyville, Ill.) each contributed valuable minutes at goalkeeper and combined for the shutout.
Millikin ended the season 2-6 in conference and 8-8-1 overall.

CCIW TOURNAMENT
Wednesday's Semifinals (Nov . 2)
No. 3 Carroll at No. 2 Illinois Wesleyan, 7 p.m.
No. 4 North Central at No. 1 Wheaton, 7 p.m.