Box Score
ALBANY – A late goal by Southern New Hampshire thwarted a dominating effort by The College of Saint Rose and in the process halted the Golden Knights run at a sixth straight
Northeast-10 Conference title tonight. Senior midfielder Kaleigh Roberge finished in the 88th minute that allowed the Penmen to advance to Sunday's championship match against visiting eighth-seed Adelphi, which moved on with a 1-0 victory at fourth-seed Merrimack.
Saint Rose (16-2-2), ranked #17 for the last four weeks in the
NSCAA/Continental Tire NCAA Division II Top-25 Poll, dictated the tempo for the majority of the match that subsequently yielded a 20-5 shot advantage, including a 7-2 differential in shots-on-goal, and a 5-2 edge in corner kicks. However, the game's occasional cruel reality came to fruition when junior forward Ashley Jaskula sent in a cross from the right side that Roberge one-touched home with her team-leading seventh strike of the season.
Meanwhile, Saint Rose nearly put itself in front on several occasions. Freshman midfielder
Amanda Vasquez ripped a shot from 20-yards out in the opening five minutes that sailed just high. Junior midfielder
Sydney Bond then hit a volley that nearly skimmed the crossbar with 32:15 gone by to keep it a scoreless affair at intermission.
In the second half, sophomore forward
Brittany Barry lined a strike from just inside the area during the initial two minutes that slipped just past the left post.
However, perhaps the most dangerous opportunity came in the 75th minute off a set piece from just beyond the area. Bond slid a touch to Vasquez whose shot was gathered in by Southern New Hampshire (10-5-3) junior keeper Samantha Whittier for what amounted to the most crucial of her seven saves.
Regardless, Saint Rose still kept marching forward relentlessly looking to be rewarded for its efforts. Ten minutes following the aforementioned set piece, a header by freshman midfielder
Gianna Smith near the goal line went high that ultimately brought into focus a frustrating 90 minutes of soccer for the Golden Knights.
Looking ahead, Saint Rose will gather as a team Monday night inside the Lally School of Education on Madison Avenue to view the NCAA Tournament selection show that is scheduled for 7:30 pm. The defending national champion Golden Knights have their eyes initially set on a fifth-straight NCAA semifinal berth.
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