NE-10 CHAMPIONSHIP SEMIFINAL
Friday, November 2 | 4:00 pm
Sullivan Field at the Plumeri Sports Complex | Albany, NY
Southern New Hampshire (11-5-3) at #17 Saint Rose (16-1-2)
Tickets | $6 general admission | $4 seniors/children | $1 students with NE-10 ID
Live Stats | NE-10 Standings | Live Video
The Plot: The College of Saint Rose welcomes Southern New Hampshire University for a
Northeast-10 Conference Championship semifinal match at
Sullivan Field at the Plumeri Sports Complex this afternoon. Kickoff is set for 4:00 pm.
Last Meeting (9/15/12): A goal from each team barely five minures apart in the second half accounted for the 1-1 tie as neither the Golden Knights nor the Penmen could find the game-winner. Freshman midfielder Kelly Johnson assisted junior forward Carmelina Puopolo with the match's opening strike in the 55th minute. Junior midfielder Bethi Ledoux then countered in the 60th minute on a lofted shot from 30-yards out that found its way underneath the crossbar and into the goal for the equalizer. Senior keeper Maggie Weldon made seven saves for the Penmen as Saint Rose generated a 20-10 advantage in shots.
Scouting #17 Saint Rose (16-1-2): The second-seed Golden Knights have won eight straight and lead the NE-10 in both scoring offense and scoring defense. Five different players accounted for the five goals in Wednesday's 5-1 quarterfinal victory against visiting Southern Connecticut State. Freshman midfielder Amanda Vasquez started the scoring just 11 minutes into the match. Junior midfielder Laura Taylor, Puopolo, sophomore forward Meeghan Arno, and freshman midfielder Jennifer Busk all found the back of the net as well. Puopolo, Taylor, and Johnson also added assists. Six student-athletes from Saint Rose were named to the NE-10 All-Conference teams this past week, as Puopolo and junior midfielder Sydney Bond earned first-team honors for the second straight season. Vasquez garnered both second-team All-Conference and All-Rookie accolades while senior back Molly Harpster and sophomore forward Brittany Barry were tabbed as third-team selections. Freshman forward Kristin Carr was named to the All-Rookie team along with Vasquez. Puopolo, Bond, Vasquez, and Carr all rank inside the league's top-15 point producers. Puopolo came into the week tied for first in the country with 48 points behind 17 goals and 14 assists. Meanwhile, junior keeper Jessica Gerski is third nationally with a league best 0.34 goals-against-average. She also stands atop the NE-10 with 15 wins and an 0.891 save percentage that is furthermore a direct reflection of a superlative defensive unit comprised of Harpster and sophomore backs Jourdan Thompson and La'Quilla Upton.
Scouting Southern New Hampshire (11-5-3): The third-seed Penmen struck early in each half en route to Wednesday 2-0 quarterfinal victory against visiting New Haven in Manchester. Freshman midfielder Lexxi Carroll put in her fifth goal of the season off an assist from senior midfielder Kaleigh Roberge. Junior midfielder Ashley Jaskula then added the insurance tally early in the second period. Roberge was joined by senior back Emily Mongeau on the league's first-team All-Conference squad. Futhermore, Jaskula and senior back Daniela Abruzzese were tabbed as third-team picks. Freshmen midfielders Aylssa Balboni and Gabby Cappello also were recognized on the conference's All-Rookie team. Roberge is fifth in the NE-10 with seven assists on the year. She also has six goals and owns the league's 11th highest point total with 19. Jaskula paces the team and is 10th in the conference with 20 points behind eight goals and four assists. Weldon has made 35 saves to go along with three shutouts in 16 games thus far.
Up Next: The winner of today's match will host Sunday's NE-10 Championship Final and meet either fourth seed Merrimack or eighth seed Adelphi. Merrimack advanced with Wednesday's 1-0 overtime win versus Franklin Pierce, while the Panthers moved on by upsetting top-seed American International 2-0.
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