Box Score RICHMOND, Ind. — It's now time for step two.

The first step for the Earlham College women's soccer team was winning the opening match of the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference Tournament on Thursday, which the Quakers did with a 2-0 decision over Manchester University on Matlack Field.

“Winning this game is a step," Earlham Head Coach Shane Meridith said. "We're not celebrating and we're not going out dancing."

"This was the step before the final," Meridith continued. "We want to win that championship and we've talked about that since August 16.”

Ranked at No. 7 in the latest National Soccer Coaches of America Association/Continental Tire NCAA Division III Women's Great Lakes Poll, the top-seeded Quakers advance to Saturday's HCAC Tournament Championship match at 1 p.m. The winner earns the HCAC's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.

Earlham (12-5-1) entertains Transylvania University (12-5-1) on Saturday after the Pioneers beat Hanover College in penalty kicks during the other semifinal match on Thursday night.

After a scoreless first period with the Spartans (9-7-3) on Thursday, the Quakers picked up both goals in the second half.

“Manchester is a good team," Meridith said. "They're organized and they have some really good players. We knew that going in."

"We've got to do a better job controlling the tempo of the game and we did that in the first 23 minutes," Meridith added. "Then we kind of started to get a little too direct, a little bit impatient. We've got to get away from that and share the ball more.”

Early in the second stanza, the Quakers took a 1-0 advantage when Ikumi Doucette (Berwyn Heights, MD, Eleanor Roosevelt) found the back of the net for her 12th goal of the season after a pass from Gia Casaburo (Ft. Wayne, IN, Dwenger) at 48:57.

Joy Doucette (Berwyn Heights, MD, Eleanor Roosevelt) sealed the victory with an unassisted score at 81:27. It was her 11th goal of the fall.

“I'm happy to be moving on to Saturday.” Meridith said. “Transylvania advanced two years ago, Hanover advanced last year," Meridith said. "Hopefully, it'll be us this year.”

The Quakers led 15-10 in shots and 4-1 in corner kicks.  

Earlham goalkeeper Ashley (A.J.) Johnson (Columbus, OH, Ohio Virtual Academy) had four saves for the Quakers.