'DANBURY, CT - Western Connecticut State University came from behind to defeat Keene State College, 4-2 and won its sixth Little East Conference Women's Soccer Championship before an announced crowd of 413 at the Westside Athletic Complex Saturday afternoon. 

The Colonials, 19-1-1 receives an automatic berth into the NCAA Division III National Tournament which begins on November 10.  It will be the program's sixth appearance in the NCAA Tournament.

Senior midfielder Jessica Gomes (Wallingford, CT) scored what proved to be the game-winning goal in the 71st minute bringing her Colonials all the way back from a 2-0 deficit.  She was named the Tournament's Most Outstanding Player for her effort.

Keene State, 14-8, took a 1-0 lead in the ninth minute when Molly Brunelle (Walpole, NH) converted on a deflection from Kendra Spencer's (Petoskey, MI) free kick that caromed off the cross bar.  The WestConn defense was unable to clear the loose ball and Brunelle was left alone to put it in the back of the net.

Ten minutes into the second stanza, Spencer scored her team-leading seventh goal of the season on a penalty kick, awarded after she was fouled in the box. 

WestConn, which never trailed by two goals throughout the season, began its comeback with 57:34 remaining on the game clock, when Heather Falzone (Barkamstead, CT) netted her second goal in as many days.  She finished off a shot by Catherine Nathans (New Fairfield, CT) that trickled along the goal line.  The play started from a free kick by Gomes 10 yards outside the box.

Kim Crayco (Bolton, CT) tied the game at 2-2 at the 61:48 mark when she deposited her 13th goal of the season.  Calie Carter (Lebanon, NH) and Nathans earned assists on the goal that was initiated from a corner kick.

Gomes capped off a three-goal-in-14-minute run with her 13th marker of the season exactly 10 minutes later.

Carter added an insurance goal in the 77th minute when she lofted a shot from deep in the corner that found the back corner of the net.  It was her eight goal of the season.

Jenna Cappellieri (Stratford, CT) made three saves for the Colonials and now has a 0.63 goals-against average.

Liz Rosen (Swanzey, NH) made 10 saves for the Owls, which should learn on Monday if an invitation to the ECAC New England Tournament awaits them.

"It's a tough lose because we had a two goals lead and dominated in the early going," said KSC Coach Denise Lyons.  "But it's hard to play back-to-back games and we just ran out of gas."

"We had some break downs defensively and you can't afford to make mistakes against a very solid team."

It was KSC's eighth straight trip to the LEC finals. They won the championship in 2003 and 2004. KSC has faced Western Conn. four times in the finals (1999, 2000, 2001, 2002 and 2006).

The Colonials are ranked fourth nationally in the latest NSCAA Division III Women's Soccer Poll and remained first in New England for the seventh straight week.  It is the highest national ranking for the Colonials in program history.

WestConn also won the Little East Conference title five straight years from 1997 to 2001.  It has made five other appearances in the NCAA Tournament in 1997, 1999-2001 and 2005.

(Courtesy WCSU Sports Information)