WILLIMANTIC, Conn. -- The third seeded Keene State women's
soccer team lost to second-seed Eastern Connecticut State
University 2-0 in a Little East Conference semifinal tournament
game played Thursday afternoon in Willimantic.
The Owls (15-7) will now await a possible berth to the ECAC New
England tournament on Monday. KSC has appeared in the tournament
four out of the five past years, winning the championship in 2005.
Eastern Connecticut junior forward Sarah Swann (Oxford) scored
the game-winning goal for the second straight season against Keene
State College in the Little East Conference playoff semifinals as
the Warriors advanced to the championship match with the shutout
victory at Thomas Nevers Field.
Second-seeded Eastern (11-4-1) will face No. 1 seed Western
Connecticut State University which blanked No. 4 seed
University of Massachusetts Boston 4-0 in the second semifnal game.
In the 78th minute of a scoreless game, Swann
collected a loose ball and hammered a 25-yarder off the hands of
Keene State junior keeper Samantha Hirsh (Holliston, MA) that
bounced up and hit the bottom of the crossbar and landed over the
goal line. Sixty-two seconds later, Swann found senior forward
Meghan Ryczek (East Haddam) in the box and Ryczek added an
insurance goal when she beat Hirsh from six yards. Swann's goal was
her seventh of the year and Ryczek her ninth.
In last year's semifinals against Keene at Nevers Field, Swann
gave Eastern a 1-0 win by scoring the only goal of the match 82
seconds into sudden death overtime. Thursday's win was
Eastern's fourth straight in the last two years over Keene and
keeps the Warriors unbeaten (6-0-1) at home this year.
"We had a few chances to score in the first half, but couldn't
capitalize on our opportunities," said KSC Coach Denise
Lyons. "In the second half, Eastern took advantage
of their opportunities and that's why they're moving on to the
finals."
Eastern junior keeper Kim Church (Farmington) made eight saves
in recording her fourth shutout of the season for Eastern, ranked
eighth in New England. Church needed to make six of her saves in
the first half in order to keep the match scoreless. The Owls, tied
for tenth in this week's New England rankings, threatened a number
of times in the first half. Their first chance came just seven
minutes into play and came off a corner kick. The corner kick,
taken by senior midfielder Michelle Boland
(Worcester, MA), caromed off the head of an Eastern defender and
off the post to an unmarked Kendra Spencer. From eight yards out,
Spencer sent the ball over the crossbar.
With 18 minutes left in the first half, junior midfielder
Molly Brunelle (Walpole, MA) threaded a pass up
the middle to LEC scoring leader Katie Bradford
(Lebanon, NH), but Church won the ball with a dive and coverup
before Bradford could unload a shot. Thirteen minutes into the
second half of a scoreless match, Bradford took a ball from
sophomore midfielder Nora Mahoney (Belchertown,
MA) and had open space on the right wing but her open 12-yarder
aimed inside the near post sailed high..
Ryczek and Swann each had opportunities in the first 12 minutes
of play to put the Warriors in front, but neither chance
materialized into a goal. Ryczek stole a ball dribbled inside the
box, but missed wide left with her shot. Nine minutes later, Ryczek
sent a through-ball to Swann from the top of the box but Hirsh cut
down the angle and gathered in the blast. Swann also had a chance
with ten minutes left in the first half but her header off a corner
kick by senior midfielder Nicole Gaudette (Colchester) carried over
the crossbar.
Keene State was making a bid to reach the finals for
the ninth time. The Owls win the LEC title in 2002 and 2004.
Eastern will be making its fifth appearance in the conference
championship match in the last six years. The Warriors won titles
in 2003 and 2005.
(Courtesy ECSU Sports Information)
