After two nail-biters against Lindenwood University and No. 6 Graceland University, the Baker women’s soccer team is set to play in the HAAC Championship game against No. 13 William Jewell College Friday at 7 p.m. in Liberty, Mo. 

The Wildcats defeated Lindenwood 4-3 in overtime Monday at Liston Stadium and needed penalty kicks to upset Graceland Wednesday in Lamoni, Iowa.

BU lost to Graceland 2-0 in the regular season finale on Nov. 2, but Wednesday’s match was a different story.

Baker trailed 1-0 until senior Christine Janssens tied the game in the 75th minute.

The game remained tied 1-1 through two overtimes, until the Wildcats won the game 4-2 on penalty kicks.

“I can’t believe we just beat Graceland,” senior Carly Dickens said. “We are going to the (HAAC) Championship.”

The Wildcats’ win over Lindenwood was also a game that came down to the wire.

Senior Jen Sampson scored a goal in overtime, completing her hat trick and bringing the match to an end with a score of 4-3.

Lindenwood got the scoring rolling after only three minutes of play.

Thirteen minutes into the match, senior Carly Dickens was pushed into Haley Oborny by a Lindenwood player. Oborny was knocked off her feet and hurt her left ankle, sending her out of the match for most of the first half.

Although she was injured, Oborny came back to play the rest of the game.

“Nothing is going to keep (Oborny) from playing, not even if I try to,” head coach Nate Houser said.

Fifteen minutes into the match, senior Chelsea Dunn scored the Wildcats’ first goal of the game. With about 20 minutes remaining in the first half, Sampson scored from the 30-yard line, bringing the score to 2-1.

Fifteen minutes into the second half, Lindenwood scored again, followed by another goal by Sampson five minutes later. With 20 minutes left in the game, Lindenwood tied it up again, putting the score at 3-3.

Sampson finished off the game and her high-scoring night with a third goal after three minutes of overtime.

“I’ve been waiting all year to score, so it was incredible to score three,” Sampson said.

The match was one of the most aggressive Baker has played this season, with more than five yellow cards given out to the two teams combined.

“You’re fighting for a chance to go to the national tournament,” Houser said. “If you don’t fight, it’s a problem.”

Coming off the two victories, the Wildcats will play No. 13 William Jewell in the HAAC Championship game.

“We are all pumped right now,” Dickens said. “I think we are going to come out strong and confident, but not to confident. We were hoping for an outcome like this. We are just so excited right now.”