WILLIMANTIC, CT - Freshman forward Elizabeth Vachon (Amherst, N.H.) scored a goal on shot a which was deflected by an Eastern Connecticut StateUniversity defender with seven minutes left in the first half that carried the Keene State College women's soccer team to a 1-0 win in the semifinals of the 2001 Little East Conference playoffs at Thomas Nevers Field.

Third-seeded Keene (17-4) advances to the tournament final for the third straight year and will face the winner of a Friday evening match between top-seeded Western Connecticut State University and fifth-seeded Plymouth State College. The final is scheduled to be played Sunday at noon at either Western or Keene State. Keene State has lost 1-0 decisions to Western in each of the two previous conference tournament finals.

Vachon scored her third goal of the season late in the first half. Vachon settled a loose ball from 30 yards out, carried several steps toward the top of the box and released a shot, where the ball was re-directed from 12 yards out inside the left post, just beyond the dive of ECSU sophomore keeper Stacey Schofield.

"I was surprised the ball went in. I wasn't trying to score," Vachon said. "I was trying to cross it. Then I saw some player on their team hit it in and I said OK, that's good enough."

"An own goal is never fun for anybody," added KSC Coach Denise Lyons. "But we worked very hard to get it. They're dangerous and we were able to neutralize their top scorers and win the battle."

Keene avenges a 3-1 regular-season loss to second-seeded Eastern (13-4-1), which was the Owls' only loss in their previous ten matches. Keene had advanced to the semifinals with a 5-2 home win over MAachusetts Dartmouth Tuesday.

Playing with a stiff breeze at its back in the second half, Eastern had several opportunities to score in the opening ten minutes but could not break through against Keene freshman Michelle Mason, who recorded her first post-season shutout. Mason made six saves in the match, taking away ECSU's best opportunity six minutes into the second half on a shot from in close by ECSU freshman Erica Figueiredo which was set up by a cross from the end line by senior Julia Neilson.

Keene posted the shutout and held LEC scoring leader Jen Ferrari without a shot despite a right ankle injury to junior back Carolyn Crawford, who left the match 25, minutes into play. The Keene defense drew ECSU into nine offsides. It was only ECSU's second shutout loss of the year, first against a conference opponent.

With the victory, KSC set a program record with 17 wins in a season. The 1996 and 1998 team each won 16 games.

The winner of Sunday's LEC championship match gains an automatic bid to the NCAA Division III tournament.