SUPERIOR, Wis. – For the first time in the 29-year history of the program, the UW-Superior women's soccer team is headed to the NCAA tournament.
 
The Yellowjackets won their first Upper Midwest Athletic Conference postseason championship with a 3-2 victory over Northwestern at NBC Spartan Sports Complex on Saturday.
 
Senior Annah Schussman (Bemidji, Minn./Bemidji), who became the program's all-time leader career goals in the UMAC semifinal victory over Minnesota Morris on Wednesday, scored her 15th  goal of the season,  freshman Ava Giswold (Duluth, Minn./Proctor) notched her seventh and sophomore Niya Wilson (Superior, Wis./Superior Senior) her team-leading 20th as Superior built a 3-0 lead. The Eagles, though, tallied twice in a 2:36 span in the 71st and 74th minutes to make for a nervy finish. 
 
UWS was able to see the match out and hold on for the title. The win extended the Yellowjackets' unbeaten streak to 17 matches at 16-0-1.
 
Schussman put her team on the board first in the 14th minute with an assist from sophomore Lindrey Schendel (Firestone, Colo./Skyline). Giswold made it 2-0 in the 17th minute on a feed from Wilson from outside the 18-yard box as UWS took the two-goal advantage into halftime.
 
Wilson flicked in a ball from Schussman in the 64th minute to make it 3-0. Freshman Maggie McAlister (Plymouth, Minn./Robbinsdale Armstrong) started the sequence with a cross from the right side of the box to extend the lead.
 
Northwestern cut into the lead as Megan Kohrt finished off a Maia Ellenburg pass, sliding the ball by freshman goalkeeper Jenna Lang (Lino Lakes, Minn./Centennial) from the right at the 70:58 mark. UNW pulled to within one on an Amanda Kocurek marker, assisted by Mya Chan at 73:34.

Schussman was selected as the UMAC tournament MVP. She tallied four goals and an assist in two matches, Saturday's game-winning goal. 
 
The Yellowjackets, who took the season series with the Eagles 2-0-1, outshot UNW 13-10 overall and 8-7 in shots on goal in the match. 
 
Lang earned the victory in net, improving to 16-2-1 on the season, while making five saves. Northwestern's Ellie Fryer fell to 11-6-2 with five saves of her own.
 
UWS (18-3-1) will learn its tournament destination Monday at 12 p.m., central time on NCAA.com.