BURLINGTON, Vt. – For the first time in program history, Vermont is the America East women’s soccer champion. Cricket Basa’s goal late in the second half was the lone score of the game and gave the top-seeded Catamounts a 1-0 win over sixth-seeded New Hampshire in the championship game at UVM’s Virtue Field before raucous crowd of 2,017 fans on Sunday. Vermont swept the regular-season and tournament titles for the first time.
With the win, the Catamounts punched their ticket to their first-ever NCAA Women’s Soccer Championship and will learn their draw during the selection show on Monday, November 8 at 4:30 p.m. on NCAA.com. UVM will take a nine-game winning streak into the tournament.
Basa was named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player after scoring the game winner. She tallied the lone score of the game in the 80th minute taking a cross from freshman Bailey Ayer and burying a shot from the top of the ’18 yard box. It was the senior captain’s fifth goal of the season.
Both teams had multiple strong chances but the goalkeepers, both who earned All-Championship honors stood tall. Cat Sheppard had six stops for UNH while Lydia Kessel, the America East Goalkeeper of the Year, had five for UVM to register her fifth shutout of the season.
All-Championship Team
UNH’s Whitney Wiley earned the Elite 18 Award for having the highest GPA among student-athletes competing in the championship. The senior carries a 3.93 GPA majoring in hotel and hospitality management.
Visit Championship Central for box scores, highlights and recaps from each round in addition to team tournament history and more.
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