Sophomore back Dolores Deasley converted the fourth and decisive penalty kick as Hofstra advanced to the America East Women’s Soccer Championship semifinal round with a 4-2 penalty kick decision over Towson at University Field in Hempstead, N.Y. The teams played a scoreless draw through 90 minutes of regulation and then four fifteen-minute sudden victory overtime sessions.
The Pride, 8-7-3, had the best chance to win it in regulation when Charity Schmitt had a penalty kick in the 23rd minute sail wide left.
Both teams had solid chances to win the game in the overtime sessions. Towson, 6-9-3, played with a stiff wind at its back during the first and third overtime sessions and nearly converted minutes into the first overtime, but midfielder Shannon Jackson's shot on a corner kick was cleared off the line by Hofstra junior back Janine Cappello. Pride sophomore midfielder Bridget Penta then hit the crossbar twice, once in the second overtime on a chip shot from 24 yards and once in the fourth overtime on a 15-yard blast from the center of the penalty area.
Hofstra held a 20-12 edge in shots, but Yasmin Alter made 11 saves to keep the Tigers in the game.
Hofstra shot first in the best-of-five penalty kick round following the fourth overtime. Schmitt found the left side of the net this time for a 1-0 Pride lead. Hofstra goalkeeper Kristine Winchester, who had four saves during the game, then thwarted Maggie Lennon’s attempt. Hofstra’s Elyse Bizzozzaro and Towson’s Annie Hay traded goals for a 2-1 Pride lead after two rounds. Alter stopped Laura DelBiondo to give Holly Noga a chance to tie it for the Tigers, but Noga’s shot rattled off the right post. Nicole Herzog gave the Pride a 3-1 lead with a low shot to the left and Martha Bielefeld cut the lead to 3-2 after four rounds with a shot to the lower left corner. Deasley then beat Alter to the right side for a 4-2 Hofstra lead, advancing the Pride to the America East semifinals where it will meet No. 2 seed Hartford Friday at 4 p.m. at Nickerson Field in Boston.
Junior Brittany Campbell scored in the 41st minute and Andrea Lunn turned away each of the two shots she faced as Delaware defeated New Hampshire, 1-0, at Delaware Mini-Stadium to advance to the America East Women’s Soccer Championship semifinal round.
The fourth-seeded Blue Hens, 11-7-1, playing without conference assist leader Ginette Buffone, struggled to get shots on the fifth-seeded Wildcats early, not recording a shot in the first 40 minutes of play. But Ginna Lewing headed the ball to Campbell, who drove Delaware’s second shot of the match into the right corner of the net with 4:48 left in the first half for the game’s only goal.
The Blue Hen defense took control from that point, not allowing the Wildcats a shot on goal in the second half.
Kristen Ouellette made two saves for New Hampshire, 6-11-3.
Delaware now faces top-seeded Boston University in the America East Women’s Soccer Championship semifinals Friday night at 7:00 at Nickerson Field in Boston.
1 2 OT OT OT OT Final
Towson (6-9-3) 0 0 0 0 0 0 -- 0
Hofstra (8-7-3) 0 0 0 0 0 0 -- 0
Scoring
none
Shots: Towson 10, Hofstra 20
Saves: Towson (Yasmin Alter, 11); Hofstra (Kristine Winchester, 4)
Corners Kicks: Towson 10, Hofstra 3
1 2 Final
New Hampshire (6-11-3) 0 0 -- 0
Delaware (11-7-1) 1 0 -- 1
Scoring
UD-Brittany Campbell (9) (Ginna Lewing) 40:12
Shots: New Hampshire 6, Delaware 12
Saves: New Hampshire (Kristen Ouellette, 2); Delaware (Andrea Lunn, 2)
Corners Kicks: New Hampshire 1, Delaware 8