WAUKESHA, Wis. - Coming into the final home game of her career, Carly Oboikovitz  had a clear-cut goal in mind.
Oboikovitz, a 5-foot-9 senior forward from La Grange, Ill., accomplished it by scoring the winning goal off an assist from senior forward/midfielder Sabrina Georgeff (Naperville, Ill.) at the 22:43 mark as the Carroll University women's soccer team defeated Millikin University 1-0 in a cold, blustery College Conference of Illinois-Wisconsin regular-season finale at Schneider Stadium on Saturday evening.
It was the eighth shutout of the season for Carroll, which finished third in the highly contested conference standings with a 4-1-3 record and 12-3-3 overall.
The inspired Senior Night effort took on added meaning as it clinched the No. 3 seed in the prestigious CCIW Tournament for the second consecutive year.
Carroll will now travel to Bloomington, Ill. to face second-seeded Illinois Wesleyan University, 15-3 overall, in a rematch of last year's CCIW tourney semifinal at Neis Field on Wednesday at 7 p.m.
On the game-winner in the 22nd minute, Georgeff established position toward the middle of the box, gained possession of a corner kick and delivered a quick crossing pass.
Oboikovitz, who charged the ball from the right side, finished with a quick tap into the back of the net to finish the bang-bang play.
"I tried not to over shoot the goal and tapped it in," said a smiling Oboikovitz, of the game-winning sequence. "At that point, it was just a matter of stepping up and doing what I needed to do to get the job done. The ball was in a perfect spot so it was easy to finish the play.
"We had so many opportunities to score throughout the game but just couldn't take advantage of the situation at times. The bottom line was getting a victory so it was great to be able to step up to the challenge, get a big goal and advance to the tournament."
Oboikovitz, who has contributed four goals and three assists this season, was quick to point out that getting a victory on Senior Night was special.
"I felt good during warmups and really thought I would be able to score so it was exciting to have it come in a big game on such a special night. Being a senior, it hasn't really sunk in yet as to what we accomplished but it will when we take the field for the tournament. It will be nice to get the chance to redeem ourselves."
Junior forward/midfielder Delaney Pruitt (Ringwood, Ill.) generated four shots on goal and junior forward Rachel Van Sluys (Sheboygan, Wis.) followed with two for the Pioneers, who outshot Millikin 17-5 in the contest, highlighted by a 12-2 shot-on-goal advantage.
Junior Sabrina Sieger (Waukesha, Wis.) and sophomore Christina O' Block (Libertyville, Wis.) each played a half at goalkeeper and combined for the shutout.
"It was a great overall team victory," said Carroll head coach Susie Foster, whose team finished the month of October by extending its unbeaten streak to seven games. "Looking back, it was a really exciting day on so many levels because not only were we trying to earn a berth in the CCIW Tournament but also honoring the legacy of our great senior class while raising money for breast cancer research. We always play with so much pride on our home field so it was special to be able to come away with another big victory and finish it off by ringing the victory bell one more time.
With the CCIW being so competitive, it wasn't just about winning one game but rather about being able to compete at a consistent level over the course of the season and put together a solid body of work. Getting the opportunity to play in November is never guaranteed so we're excited about the playoffs and the challenges ahead of us. We are extremely proud of advancing for the second straight year. It's an outstanding accomplishment and a testament to the players and their commitment each step of the way."
Following the emotional victory, the Pioneers held a brief presentation to honor the career contributions of the seniors including Oboikovitz, Georgeff, defender Mary Ladd (Darien, Ill.), defender Jessica Drag (Plainfield, Ill.), forward/midfielder Jess Coia (Sugar Grove, Ill.) and forward Daniella Bobsen (Madison, Wis.).
The standout group has contributed to 49 victories in four years, including winning the Midwest Conference Tournament and advancing to the NCAA Division III Tournament in 2015, going undefeated at home in 2016 and qualifying for back-to-back CCIW Tournaments in 2016 and 2017.
"This particular senior class has left such a tremendous legacy in terms of what they were able to accomplish during their career," Foster added. "As a group, they have been a part of so many outstanding things and have had a huge impact on the program. It will be hard to let them go but in the meantime there's still more soccer to play as we prepare to head into the playoffs. I'm sure they will be ready to make the most of the experience."