KEENE, N.H. 11/4/11- "See you on Sunday" chanted a jubilant Keene State College women's soccer team, looking up at the stands  to a throng of Owl fans lining the front row of the bleachers at Owl Athletic Complex on Friday night. 

After playing fourth seed UMass-Boston to a 1-1 draw after 90 minutes of regulation play and two overtime periods in their semifinal game, the top seeded Owls advanced to the LEC championship game by outscoring the Beacons 3-1 in penalty kicks.  Keene State (13-7-1) will host second seed Eastern Conn. in Sunday's 1 p.m. final.  The Warriors defeated third seed Western Conn. 1-0 in their semifinal match-up.

Looking for its second straight trip to the LEC finals, UMass-Boston goes to 13-7-1.

Despite having the upper hand in play, Keene State found itself down 1-0 after UMB freshman Krista Ledin (Bridgewater, Mass) outraced a couple of Owl defenders and put the ball past KSC senior goalie Megan Dempsey (East Weymouth, Mass.) at the 30:35 mark.

Early in the second half KSC Coach Denise Lyons decided to move senior back Erin Griffin (Londonderry, N.H.) upfront to generate more offense and the moved paid off. Griffin tied the score when she headed home a cross from sophomore Jessica Berthiaume (Worcester, Mass.) 13 minutes into the half. 

The Beacons had a couple of chances to get the go ahead goal in the first overtime, but Megan Dempsey was up to the challenge.  With 2:59 to go she went up and pulled senior Brie Cavanaugh's (Belchertown, Mass.) shot out of the air and just a minute later came out to grab the ball in front of a charging Kristin Murly (Holbrook, Mass.)

Keene State best chance for the game-winner came in the second overtime when freshman Alex Haley's (Laconia, N.H.) free kick from 24-yards out sailed over the cross bar with  seconds left on the clock. 

With the outcome of the game still up in the air, the teams' got set for penalty kicks at the far goal.  Lyons said she felt very comfortable about her teams' chances going into the kicks.  "We practice PKs starting in the preseason and Meg is such a good goalie, I knew she would make at least one save."

 After UMB and KSC missed in their first kicks, sophomore Sam Cristoforo (Rockland, Mass.) put the Beacons up 1-0.  Berthiaume answered for the Owls with the shot to the right side of the goal. 

"We practice these shots in practice, so I know the spot I'm going to," said Berthiaume.  "I just take a deep breath and it's just like practice. I can't describe the feeling when it went in."

After the next Beacon shot went off the crossbar, senior Melissa Dempsey gave KSC a 2-1 lead, blasting a shot right down the middle past UMB freshman keeper Dani Perkins (Murrieta, Ca.)  "I walked up to the ball and knew where to place it," said Dempsey.  "It feels great to win this game as a senior.  I can't say enough about my team.  They are just unbelievable."

Twin sister Megan Dempsey stopped UMB's next bid leaving it up to junior Joan Hamel (Weare, N.H.), who went to the left side for the penalty kick that would send the Owls into the finals.   "I was nervous going up, said Hamel. I actually went the opposite way that I normally go, but it worked out." 

Megan Dempsey described her strategy going into PKs.  "I knew I had to be confident and if I made a decision to stick with it and go hard to that side.  Luckily, I was able to read them a little bit and I was able to make the save on their fourth shooter.  It felt really good." 

"I told everyone it was going to be a tough game," said Lyons.  "It wasn't a great performance, but we got the result we needed." 

Keene State, which owns a 15-0-1 series lead over UMB, outshot the Beacons 21-11.  Both teams had four corner kicks. 

Megan Dempsey finished the game with six saves while Perkin stopped seven shots.

Keene State will be making its 10th trip to the championship game.  The Owls captured LEC titles in 2002 and 2004.  It's the seventh finals berth for ECSU.  The Warriors won championships in 2003, 2005, and 2009.  The two teams have faced each other three times in the finals.  KSC defeated ECSU in 2004 (3-0).  The Warriors beat the Owls in 2005 (2-0) and 2009 (1-0).

"We fight all season long for home field advantage; hopefully it will pay dividends on Sunday," said Lyons.