ALBANY – The College of Saint Rose women's soccer team will take its first step towards a third straight Northeast-10 Conference Tournament title on Sunday when the top-seed Golden Knights host eighth-seed New Haven at 1:00 pm in a quarterfinal match-up at The Albany Academies East Campus.

Following Wednesday's 3-0 win at Le Moyne College, Saint Rose became only the eighth women's soccer team to finish conference play with an undefeated season (15-0-0). The last team to accomplish the feat was Franklin Pierce in 2001 (14-0-0). The Golden Knights also set an NE-10 record with 15 conference victories due to the league's expansion within the last year.

Sunday's match with New Haven (10-6-3) marks the second year in a row the two clubs will meet in the quarterfinals of the conference tournament. The Golden Knights went on to win last year's contest 1-0 and also defeated the Chargers 4-1 back on September 16 in Albany. Sophomore forward Brittany Godin, senior midfielder Deanna Wachtel, sophomore forward Gianna D'Errico, and sophomore midfielder Christina Cuffari all scored for Saint Rose. Meanwhile, sophomore back Ali Espanol converted a penalty kick for New Haven after a hand ball in the box.

The Golden Knights (18-0) have taken four straight meetings between the two clubs and have outscored the Chargers 15-2 in those contests. Saint Rose, which has appeared in the league tournament every year since joining the league at the outset of the 2000 campaign, is 5-1 all-time against New Haven.

The Golden Knights possess a balanced attack. Eighteen different players have figured in the scoring column, including 14 who have recorded at least one goal. Saint Rose has additionally shutout 11 of its last 12 opponents and has allowed a mere four goals all year, none in the first half. The Golden Knights furthermore stand second in the nation (NCAA II) with a 0.22 goals-against-average and are one of only two (West Florida) unbeaten or untied teams.

Junior midfielder Amanda Deck has produced a team-leading 18 points with six goals and a like number of assists. Gianna D'Errico is right behind her with 14 points via five goals and four assists, while sophomore forward Nicola D'Errico, Gianna's twin, has five goals and three assists for 13 points.

Between the posts, sophomore keeper Susan Cowan leads the NE-10 with a 0.18 GAA and a 0.939 save percentage. Junior backs Katie Whiting, Kelly Guerin and Coco Ebersole anchor a defense, along with freshman Meagan McKinney, that has surrendered a mere 30 corner kicks and 62 shots-on-target.

New Haven possesses two of the top-10 scoring threats in the conference in sophomore forward Alexa DellaRocco and junior forward Emily Buckley-Matura. DellaRocco ranks fifth in the NE-10 with 28 points behind 13 goals and two assists. Meanwhile, Buckley-Matura is ninth in the league with 21 points on the strength of eight goals and five assists. Sophomore keeper Kim Taylor has made 18 starts. She is tied for second among NE-10 keepers with eight shutouts and is seventh with a 1.05 GAA.

The winner of Sunday's contest will advance to Thursday's semifinal round that will be hosted by the higher remaining seed. Fourth-seed Merrimack takes on fifth-seed Adelphi in the bracket's other quarterfinal match-up at 1:00 pm Sunday in North Andover, MA.

Admission to the game will be $5 for adults, $3 for senior citizens and children and $1 for students from NE-10 institutions. 

Quarterfinals Sunday, November 1st (1:00 pm)
#8 New Haven at #1 Saint Rose
#5 Adelphi at #4 Merrimack
#7 Saint Anselm at #2 Franklin Pierce
#6 Stonehill at #3 UMass Lowell

Semifinals Thursday, November 5th (1:00 pm)
Adelphi/Merrimack winner vs. Saint Rose/New Haven winner
Stonehill/UMass Lowell winner vs. Saint Anselm/Franklin Pierce winner

Sunday, November 8th (1:00 pm)
Championship at highest remaining seed