News Release

Wheaton Scores Late Tying Marker, Falls in Overtime to Springfield in Title Game

SPRINGFIELD, MA- The second-seeded Wheaton College women's soccer team tallied the equalizer with less than four minutes remaining in regulation of the New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) Tournament championship game, but number-one Springfield College scored on a penalty kick in overtime to take a 2-1 victory on Sunday at Brock-Affleck Field.

The Lyons, who are ranked sixth in New England by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) and were competing in the title game for the 10th consecutive season, fell to 16-5-2 and await a possible bid to their ninth straight NCAA Tournament or an Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Tournament berth.

Wheaton had won the past two NEWMAC Tournament crowns, as the only team other than the Lyons to corral the title in the last nine years has been Springfield, which also did so in 2005. The Pride, which is ranked 18th nationally and third regionally, improved to 15-3-2 and automatically qualifies for the NCAA Tournament, snapping a 26-game conference tournament unbeaten streak by the Blue and White that had stretched back to 2000.

With a 1-0 lead, Springfield had a goal disallowed with seven minutes left in regulation, setting the stage for a tying marker from sophomore Melida Alvarez (Saugus, MA/Buckingham Browne & Nichols). Classmate Emily Hough (Norwich, VT/Hanover) redirected a cross toward the left side, and Alvarez picked up the ball, dribbled past a defender and touched into the lower right at 86:11 before the sliding keeper could get a touch.

However, with 3:59 remaining in the first overtime period, Pride senior Delaney Cantrall (Santa Paula, CA/Saint Bonaventure) buried a penalty kick into the lower left and beyond diving freshman keeper Lindsay Leddy (Warwick, WI/Wheeler School) after a Springfield player had drawn a foul in the box.

Early in the contest, the hosts made a push for a goal, but their best opportunity was denied by Leddy, who dove to tip freshman Jen Jahoda's (Lebanon, CT/Lyman Memorial) 21st-minute try over the crossbar. Six total shots were fired off in the opening half before the Pride got on the board in the 50th minute, taking advantage of a failed Lyon clear. After a defender inadvertently knocked the ball back toward goal from the left side of the box, Springfield freshman Jackie Moscardelli (Weymouth, MA/Weymouth) headed the ball into an open net beyond a charging Leddy at 49:42 despite two Wheaton backs giving chase at the goal line.

Wheaton pressed to tie, as freshman Jessica Stuart (Weymouth, MA/Weymouth) headed a try wide right in the 52nd minute. Alvarez sent a cross through the goal mouth to junior Rosie Levy (Torrance, CA/Chadwick School) in the 58th minute, but Levy could not make contact while sliding toward the cage and being flanked by a defender. Levy's attempt at hitting the lower right corner was denied by senior keeper Sue Jenney (Agawam, MA/Agawam) in the 70th minute, and Stuart narrowly sent a ball over the crossbar in the 76th minute.

Following Alvarez's tying tally, the Pride nearly took the lead back before the end of regulation, but sophomore Courtney Price's (Enfield, CT/Enrico Fermi) shot from 20 yards away was punched over the crossbar by Leddy with a little more than three minutes showing on the clock.

The Lyons had the better of the chances at the beginning of overtime, as Stuart lofted a shot toward the upper portion of the net in the 94th minute that Jenney was able to knock down before Alvarez's shot at the right side of the cage in the 95th minute was smothered by the keeper.

Leddy finished with seven saves, as the Lyons were outshot, 15-12, but held a 9-8 edge in the second half. Jenney had five stops.

Submitted 2008-11-20 16:03:26 by Wheaton College-MA Sports Information Department

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