Belief can be a powerful force.

John Carroll went to Ada Thursday afternoon with a head coach that believed her team could pull off the upset of the top-seeded and nationally ranked Ohio Northern Polar Bears. It turns out 36 Blue Streaks bought in.

A goal by Colleen Harmon in the 79th minute off an assist from Carolyn Vespoli was the lone score in a 1-0 victory by JCU in its Ohio Athletic Conference tournament semifinal match at Ohio Northern.

Box Score

John Carroll had lost in the regular season at home to the Polar Bears by a 2-1 score, and Ohio Northern had run the table in the OAC winning all nine games by a combined score of 27-2.

But in the one-and-done nature of postseason soccer, it took just one afternoon to null and void that dominance.

The Polar Bears -- ranked #1 in the region and #11 in the nation according to the most recent National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) polls -- won the battle of shots by a 10-7 margin, and corner kicks by a 7-2 advantage, but John Carroll had a slight edge in shots on goal (4-3).

The shot that found its intended target from Harmon, which was her 10th of the season, was the difference.

"It was really a team effort,' said head coach Tracy Blasius. "It has not been our best of times in recent weeks with injuries and some tough losses, but give this team credit. They really pulled together when it counted."

John Carroll set a program record with its 14th win of the year, surpassing the 13-win season posted by the 1999 squad.

The Blue Streaks advance to their fifth OAC championship match, and their first since 2001, where they will face #3 seed Capital -- a 1-0 winner over #2 seed Otterbein this afternoon. The match is scheduled for 2:00 pm on Sunday, November 6, at Bernlohr Stadium in Bexley, Ohio.  Capital defeated John Carroll, 3-0, last Saturday in the final game of the regular season.