DAYTON — After a back-and-forth scoreless defensive battle, top-seeded Dayton emerged victorious from a 5-4 penalty kick shootout against No. 4 Rhode Island to win the 2025 Atlantic 10 Women’s Soccer Championship title.
The Flyers earned the Atlantic 10’s automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament with the victory and will find out its opponent and seeding tomorrow at 4 p.m. ET. The NCAA Tournament selection show will be live streamed Monday on NCAA.com.
The win marked Dayton’s first A-10 Championship title since 2016 and 11th all-time, ending a seven-year streak from defending champion Saint Louis.
Dayton garnered more offensive pressure than Rhode Island early on, recording the game’s first five shots. URI goalkeeper Dani Eden made a pair of saves in the first half, preventing any damage.
Eden made two more saves to open the second half, before the Rams begin to find their footing offensively. Rhode Island logged four shots in the second half, but Dayton’s defense stepped up to the occasion, blocking three of the attempts. The fourth, marking Dayton goalkeeper Batoul Reda’s first save of the afternoon, kept the score at 0-0 with 11 minutes to play.
Neither team could get a shot off in the final seven minutes of regulation, sending the game into overtime. Rhode Island nearly put the game away on a close-range opportunity just moments into the extra period, but Reda came up with one of the most impactful saves of her career to keep the match alive.
Eden continued her strong championship performance, making one more rejection in the second overtime period. After 110 minutes of scoreless action, the championship went down to a penalty shootout.
After trading goals at the start of the shootout, Dayton gained an early advantage off a Rhode Island miss. Eden came up with a crucial save to tie things up moments later, though.
A final window opened for Dayton when Rhode Island’s fifth attempt missed the frame. Senior midfielder Riley Kerber rose to the occasion, burying the final kick to seal the title for the Flyers.
Dayton outshot Rhode Island 18-6, getting five attempts on frame to the Rams’ two.
Reda was named the 2025 A-10 Women’s Soccer Championship Most Outstanding Player, allowing just one goal across Dayton’s three postseason games. Kyra Karfonta, Liv Grenda, and Riley Kerber joined Reda on the All-Championship Team, as well as Rhode Island’s Eden, Aida Name, McKenna Sylvester, and Lauren McDonald. Saint Louis’ Julia Simon and Hannah Larson and Fordham’s Riley Caroll also received All-Championship Team accolades.
All-Championship Team
Liv Grenda, Dayton
Kyra Karfonta, Dayton
Riley Kerber, Dayton
Batoul Reda, Dayton
Riley Caroll, Fordham
Dani Eden, Rhode Island
Lauren McDonald, Rhode Island
Aida Name, Rhode Island
McKenna Sylvester, Rhode Island
Hannah Larson, Saint Louis
Julia Simon, Saint Louis