VESTAL, N.Y. – For the first time ever, Bryant is the America East women’s soccer champion. Shannon Mejia’s stop in the eighth round of penalty kicks secured the Bulldogs the title after they battled No. 1 Binghamton to a 1-1 tie in the America East title game on Saturday afternoon at Binghamton’s Bearcats Sports Complex.
The teams each got a second half goal with Bryant’s coming on a Samantha Zaslaw penalty kick in the 54th minute and Binghamton’s on a Jahkaya Davis’ strike in the 88th.
Bryant back Colleen Ardolino was named the championship’s Most Outstanding Player after leading the defense that allowed just one goal in two tournament games.
The Bulldogs, who will be making their first-ever NCAA tournament appearance, will learn its tournament fate on Monday afternoon in the NCAA Women’s Soccer Selection Show at 4 p.m. on NCAA.com.
How it Happened:
- Binghamton, the league’s regular-season champion, nearly broke through in the 21st minute on a corner kick. The Bearcats got the ball in front of the net and Taylor Gabel was able to head the ball on net, but it caromed off the crossbar and Shannon Mejia was able to collect it for Bryant.
- In the 43rd minute Bryant drew a foul just outside the box, but the free kick went just wide of the net.
- Samantha Zaslaw went down inside the box in the 53rd minute and after a video review was rewarded with a penalty kick. She fired it into the far corner of the net past a diving Rebecca Kessler for the 1-0 lead.
- Binghamton nearly netted the equalizer in the 74th minute on a corner kick as the ball was knocked right into the goal mouth. Mejia was able to jump on the ball before the Bearcats got a foot on it to knock the ball in.
- Davis, the America East Striker of the Year, finally tied the score up in the 88th minute. Crystal Knoell sent a cross to the middle of the six for Davis and she elevated above the defense, heading the ball into the corner of the net.
- In the second overtime, Sophia Garafalo put a header on net and Mejia was able to tap it over the crossbar to keep it tied 1-1.
- Both teams made their first four penalty kicks before Rebecca Kessler stopped Bryant’s fifth attempt. With the game on the line, Shannon Mejia, the America East Goalkeeper of the Year, matched her with a stop and then sealed the game with a save in the eighth round to give Bryant its first title at the Division I level.
Bryant’s Laurence Leblanc earned the America East Elite 18 Award for having the highest GPA of any athlete competing in the championship game. The junior has a 4.00 GPA majoring in biology/pre-med.
All-Championship Team
| UAlbany |
Lila Algarin |
| Vermont |
Sophia Kling |
| Maine |
Sandrine Brault |
| Maine |
Luise Reinwald |
| UMBC |
Hailey Ahmed |
| UMBC |
Rian Stanton |
| Binghamton |
Jahkaya Davis |
| Binghamton |
Sophia Garofalo |
| Binghamton |
Paige Luke |
| Bryant |
Colleen Ardolino |
| Bryant |
Shannon Mejia |
| Bryant |
Julia Salina |
| Bryant |
Samantha Zaslaw |
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ABOUT AMERICA EAST
Founded in 1979, the America East Conference is an elite NCAA Division I athletic conference that fosters an environment for student-athletes to become champions. Comprised of academically renowned, like-minded member institutions located in the Northeast region of the United States, America East is committed to broad-based excellence and progressive in its approach to supporting its more than 3,500 student-athletes across 18 sponsored sports. For more information, visit www.AmericaEast.com and follow the America East Conference and its social media channels, @AmericaEast.
- America East Conference – Where Champions Rise -