Lancers score late second half goal to end Beacons season

Box Score

WORCESTER, Mass. – With an unassisted goal from Danielle Clifford in the 75^th minute the top-seeded Lancers of Worcester State University (14-5-2) edged fourth-seeded women's soccer (14-7-2) by the final score of 1-0, Saturday afternoon at Coughlin Field in the semi-final round of the 2011 ECAC New England Tournament.

Clifford would earn her team a place in tomorrow's championship match after scoring from about 25 yards out.  Worcester State will now face the winner of the Keene State College/St. Joseph's College (Conn.) in the 2011 championship match.

Both UMass and Worcester State each had 10 shots in Saturday's semi-final match-up.  Three of the Beacons were on goal, while the host Lancers was able to put six shots on target.  Brittany Castillo (Yarmouth, Mass.), led UMass in the shots category with three, followed by Krista Ledin (Bridgewater, Mass.), Kellie Gomes (Halifax, Mass.), and Brie Cavanaugh (Belchertown, Mass.) who each had two shots.

In goal, freshman Dani Perkins (Murrieta, Calif.) capped off her standout rookie season with a combined five saves, while Worcester States' Angiezak Sychtysz stopped all three shots that came into her goal box.

The Lancers held a 5-2 advantage in corner kick opportunities.  All seven corners were recorded in the first half of play. 

Both halves were extremely close as the two teams battled it out for control of the scoreboard.  UMass held a +1 (7-6) advantage in shots through the first 45 minutes of play.  After the break, it was Worcester State that managed just one more shot than the Beacons, but unfortunately that shot proved to be the difference in the contest.

Saturday's match-up brought to an end another very successful year for head coach Amy Zombeck and her Beacons.  The match marked the final in the careers of Kristin Mulry (Holbrook Mass.), Samantha Place (Newton, N.J.), Cavanaugh, Juliene McCuish (Mashpee, Mass.), Ally Lemieux (Hudson, N.H.), and Molly Kuchar (Asheville, N.C.)