PERFECT NIGHT FOR CAA TEAMS IN NCAA WOMEN'S SOCCER CHAMPIONSHIP
For the second year in a row, the CAA had all three of its teams advance to the second round of the NCAA Women's Soccer Championship. James Madison defeated Georgia 1-0, William & Mary rallied past South Carolina 3-2 in overtime and Northeatern advanced past Harvard 4-2 on penalty kicks after a 2-2 tie on Friday night.
All three squads are back in action on Sunday afternoon with road tests against ACC teams that are ranked #3 in their respective regions. JMU faces Wake Forest and Northeastern meets Boston College at 1 p.m., while William & Mary takes on Duke at 1:30.
Northeastern 2, Harvard 2 (2ot) (NU advances 4-2 on PK's)
Boxscore
Northeastern defeated Harvard 4-2 in penalty kicks after tying in double overtime 2-2 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Kelly Matthews scored both Husky goals in regulation and also scored on the fourth penalty kick which insured the Husky victory. The Huskies also got penalty kick goals from Kirby Anderson, Brenna Matthews and Gabbi Jatkola.
Matthews was the fourth Husky shooter in the penalty kick decision. She ripped a shot that went high left side which solidified the Husky victory.
Matthews netted her first goal at 20:38 after Liza Rebello made a great move on the defense before dishing a pass to the charging Matthews who was able to fire a shot off the post and in for the game’s first goal.
Harvard would answer back just 15 minutes later when Erin Wylie squeezed a ball through the Husky defense to Christina Hagner who booted the ball through the hands of Stephanie Gordon to notch the game 1-1.
In the second half, Harvard managed to take the lead when Wylie ripped a shot that went off defender Leslie Condie and then back out to Wylie again who fired a shot into the upper left hand corner.
Many fans from both Northeastern and Harvard attended the game and they did not disappoint. “Wow, what a great atmosphere for soccer today,” said head coach Ed Matz, “I credit both the fans from NU and Harvard for really showing their school spirit and getting behind these girls.” The fans exchanged pleasantries throughout the game and really made the energy and pace of the game accelerate.
At 70:04 Matthews was once again able to put one past the Harvard keeper. This time it was on a free kick from 25 yards out that one-hopped and went through the hands of Lauren Mann who had two saves on the night.
Gordon was stellar in net on Friday. In the penalty kicks she was able to stuff two Harvard shooters from point-blank range and also recorded a clutch diving save in the second overtime.
In the penalty kick decision, Anderson scored high right side, B. Matthews first attempt was saved however the referee ruled that the goalie had left the line to early and on her second attempt Matthews took a shot to the bottom left hand corner for the goal, Jatkola’s goal found the net in the top right hand corner and K. Matthews buried her shot just inside the left hand post.
James Madison 1, Georgia 0
Boxscore
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C., Nov. 14, 2008 -- James Madison squeaked by Georgia 1-0 in the opening round of the NCAA Women's Soccer Tournament Friday evening at Wake Forest's Spry Stadium.
The Dukes advance to a second-round game against 23rd-ranked Wake Forest on Sunday (1 p.m.). The Demon Deacons beat Morehead State 2-0 in an earlier game Friday.
Georgia out-shot JMU 20-7 in the match, but JMU redshirt sophomore goalkeeper Diane Wszalek made a career-high 11 saves to help the Dukes earn the victory.
JMU's score in 57th minute was credited as an own goal. Sophomore Teresa Rynier drilled a low, hard crossing pass from the left side that was kicked into the left side of the net by a Georgia player.
Wszalek made seven of her stops in the second half, including a diving save on a shot by Carrie Patterson in the 77th minute. A defensive save by senior Lindsay Bowers off another Patterson shot in the 78th minute kept the Bulldogs off the scoreboard.
An apparent goal on a header by Georgia's Megan Tonlinson in the late stages of the first half was disallowed when the Bulldogs were ruled offside.
William & Mary 3, South Carolina 2 (ot)
Boxscore
DURHAM, N.C. - William and Mary's senior class set a great example for the rest of the team Friday night on the sports' biggest stage, accounting for all three goals and all three assists to lead the Tribe past South Carolina 3-2 in overtime in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. South Carolina's season ends at 11-7-4, while W&M improves to 15-6-1 and moves on to face Duke in the second round Sunday.
"I’m so proud of our team and what they did tonight," Coach John Daly said. "I really didn’t think we played that well in the first half. I thought South Carolina possessed the ball and that we were playing a little nervous. We were sending long balls that they were handling. We came out in the second half and I think we were the better team and we had so much momentum in the final 15 minutes. I just told them to keep playing hard and that we could win the game."
The Tribe scored first in the contest, with All-American Dani Collins elevating over the pack to get her head on a free-kick from senior Abby Lauer in the 35th minute. The kick came in from near midfield on the right side, and found Collins six yards upfield from the near post for her fourth goal of the season, and Lauer's 19th career assist, moving her into a tie for 10th all-time.
South Carolina would tie the match at 1-1 with a goal of their own in the 39th minute, and took a 2-1 lead in the 60th minute. Facing a one-goal deficit late in the second half for the second week in a row, the Tribe rose to the occasion by controlling play in the final 15 minutes of regulation. Senior All-American Claire Zimmeck had several good looks, including a curling shot into the upper left 90 that didn't curl quite enough, banging off the post in the 73rd minute. She finally broke through on another long service from Lauer, banging the goal home into the lower left corner from eight yards out to knot the score at 2-apiece. Despite several more good looks by both squads, including a corner for South Carolina in the final 30 seconds, regulation ended with the score tied.
Just two minutes in, the final scoring chance materialized off a throw-in by junior Krissy Vornadore. The throw found Collins, who sent it back out to Vornadore on the right wing and then sprinted into the box. Vornadore's cross got back to Collins, and her lob up and over the first defender appeared wasted as it caromed off of the shoulder of another defender in the scrum. Zimmeck was in position to make a play on the ball, however, and headed the ball into the left side of the net before the goalkeeper could get over from the center for her 15th goal of the season.