Déjà vu as Welcome
nets match-winner in 99th minute to advance Ravens
RINDGE, N.H. (November 16,
2002) - Sophomore Meghan Welcome (Haverhill,
Mass./Haverhill) netted the match-winning goal with
just 1:51 remaining in the first overtime to lift top-seeded
Franklin Pierce, ranked No. 4 in this week's National Soccer
Coaches Association of America (NSCAA)/adidas Division II poll,
past second-seeded and No. 12-ranked Merrimack College in the NCAA
Division II Women's Soccer New England Regional Championship match
at Crystal Field this afternoon.
It marks the second-straight season
Franklin Pierce has gotten an overtime goal from Welcome to defeat
Merrimack in the regional final as she scored on a direct kick from
35-yards out that just cleared the goalkeeper's hands and into the
upper right corner of the net in the 97th minute of last year's New
England regional.
This afternoon, senior
Angela Verdoes (Katwijk Aan Zee, Holland)
directed a through ball towards the front of the net that snuck
through the Warriors defense where Welcome walked in on it for a
one-on-one with Merrimack junior goalkeeper Erika Paiva. The
Northeast-10 Player of the Year settled the ball before sizing up
the keeper before shooting the ball into the lower left side at the
98:09-mark.
The Ravens (17-0-2) advance to the
NCAA Division II Quarterfinal round and will face the winner of
tomorrow's Northeast Regional final between top-seeded and No.
8-ranked Lock Haven University (16-2-1) and second-seeded and No.
10-ranked Adelphi University (16-1-2) being played in Lock Haven,
Pa., at 1:30 p.m. Should Franklin Pierce host the quarterfinal, as
expected, the match would be played on Saturday, November 23, on
Crystal Field at 1 p.m.
In today's match, Merrimack held a
1-0 lead at the intermission as sophomore Laurie Lamoureux opened
the scoring on a direct kick from the top of the 18-yard box that
she snuck between the Franklin Pierce wall and the right post at
the 20:57-mark. It was the third goal of the season for Lamoureux
against the Ravens as she scored all three of the Warriors goals in
their three encounters. In the 1-1 draw with Franklin Pierce during
the regular season she opened the scoring with a first-half marker.
As snow began to fall in the second
half, Merrimack had two excellent chances to take a two-goal lead
in the opening minute. Lamoureux had a shot saved by Franklin
Pierce junior goalkeeper Aase Kibsgaard (Korgen,
Norway) and after the Ravens failed to clear,
sophomore Rachel Wenc had a header on the near post that looked
ticketed for the back of the net that was stopped by Kibsgaard.
The Ravens controlled the match
from there and got the equalizer in the 59th minute when a Verdoes
direct kick from 30-yards scooted through the Merrimack back line
and sophomore Martta Makila (Vantaa,
Finland) one-timed it into the back of the net.
Makila had two excellent chances to
net the match-winner in regulation, shooting one ball directly into
Paiva and had another shot roll just wide of the left post.
Paiva finished the match with seven
saves for Merrimack (15-7-1), while Kibsgaard preserved the win
with three stops.
#4 Franklin Pierce 2, #12
Merrimack 1 - OT
| Merrimack (15-7-1)
| 1
| 0
| 0
| -
| 1
|
| Franklin Pierce (17-0-2)
| 0
| 1
| 1
| -
| 2
|
Scoring Summary:
MC: Laurie Lamoureux (unassisted), 20:57; FP: Martta Makila (Angela
Verdoes), 58:05; FP: Meghan Welcome (Verdoes), 98:09.
Goalkeepers: MC: Erika Paiva (98:00), seven saves;
FP: Aase Kibsgaard (98:00), three saves.
Shots: MC: 8, FP: 13.
