Top-seeded Ravens force overtime with late goal to force 1-1 double-overtime draw, but second-seeded Golden Knights take shootout, 5-3, for championship

Boxscore 

RINDGE, N.H. (November 9, 2008) - Second-seeded The College of Saint Rose, ranked 21^st in this week's National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA)/adidas Division II poll, captured its second-straight Northeast-10 Conference women's soccer tournament title with a 5-3 decision in a penalty kick shootout after playing top-seeded and No. 13-ranked Franklin Pierce to a 1-1 double-overtime draw at Sodexo Field this afternoon.

Saint Rose (16-3-2, 11-2-1 NE-10) also earns the Northeast-10's automatic bid to the NCAA Division II Tournament which kicks off with regional action next weekend. Franklin Pierce (15-3-2, 11-2-1 NE-10) is a virtual lock to earn one of the three at-large bids to the tournament when the NCAA selection committee reveals the pairings Monday night. 

Junior goalkeeper Shannon Murphy (Charlton, Mass./St. Peter Marian) was named the Most Outstanding Player for the tournament as she made six saves, including four after halftime and one in each of the two overtime periods. She also turned aside a penalty kick in the shootout which proved to be the deciding factor to claim the title. Joining Murphy on the All-Tournament team from Saint Rose were senior Kailey Egbert (Camp Hill, Pa./Trinity), who scored the Golden Knight's goal this afternoon, and sophomore Katie Whiting (Holden, Mass./Wachusett Regional).

Franklin Pierce got a goal from sophomore All-American Angelika Johansson (Falkenberg, Sweden). Senior goalkeeper Brittany Ester (Toms River, N.J./Toms River East) made two saves for the Ravens (both first half). Earning All-Tournament team honors for the Ravens were junior All-Americans Gabriela Demoner (Curitiba, Brazil), who had an assist today, and Rachel Smith (Chichester, N.H./Bible Baptist School (Pa.)).

Both teams converted their first round kicks in the shootout. Freshman Gianna D'Errico (Shrewsbury, Mass./Shrewsbury) converted for Saint Rose in the second round and then Murphy provided the Golden Knights with an advantage with a stop to her right on Franklin Pierce sophomore Michelle Santos (East Hartford, Conn./Connecticut International Baccalaureate Academy). Both sides converted in the third and fourth rounds, with sophomore Amanda Deck (Cicero, N.Y./Cicero-North Syracuse) clinching the title with her shot to the right side in the fifth round. 

After a scoreless first half between the two programs which shared the NE-10's regular season championship, Saint Rose jumped ahead with a goal just 1:43 into the second. Egbert headed in a corner kick from the right side by freshman Christina Cuffari (Brick, N.J./Brick Memorial) at the near post in the 47^th minute for her sixth goal of the year.

Franklin Pierce nearly equalized less than ten minutes later with a pair of close range shots off a Demoner corner kick in the 56^th minute. Murphy stopped a far post header by Smith, but the rebound dropped to the foot of Johansson. She tried to stuff the ball over the end line, but Cuffari cleared the ball near the right post. The Ravens finally leveled the match in the 84^th minute, when Demoner slipped a pass from the center of the 18 to Johansson on the left side and she fired her NCAA Division II-best 29^th goal of the season past Murphy to force overtime.

Franklin Pierce finished with a 14-9 edge in shots for the match, thanks to a 10-2 advantage after halftime (8-2 second half). Saint Rose had the advantage (7-4) at the break and owned the best scoring chance of the first half.  Freshman Nicola D'Errico (Shrewsbury, Mass./Shrewsbury) was sent in one-on-one with Ester in the 35^th minute, but the Ravens goalkeeper charged off her line and smothered the shot attempt to keep the match scoreless. Johansson had a bid just before halftime to open the scoring, but her low-angle shot from the left side grabbed a deflection and flashed just wide of the far post in the 42^nd minute.