Boston, Mass. – The Albertus Magnus College women's soccer team fell on the road in penalty kicks to host Emmanuel on Saturday afternoon in the opening round of the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Tournament at Clemente Field. The Falcons move to 8-8-3 overall, while the Saints now sit at 10-8-2 and will face second-seeded Johnson & Wales in the Semifinals.
After 110 minutes of scoreless play, Emmanuel won in penalty kicks, 3-2. During the first two rounds of the shootout, neither team was able to convert. In the third round, Albertus Magnus sophomore Angelina Piccirillo (Naugatuck, Conn.) scored and following a Saints tally, AMC junior Bridget Judd (Branford, Conn.) found the back of the net.
On the ensuing kick, Emmanuel scored their second penalty. During the fifth round of kicks, Saints sophomore goalkeeper Victoria LaRoche sealed the victory for the hosts with a save and a score. LaRoche made a save on Albertus sophomore Victoria Lavery (West Haven, Conn.) and fired a strike past Falcon senior netminder Maria Case (West Haven, Conn.) for the game winner.
In her final GNAC post-season appearance, Case kept the Falcons in the game throughout, making nine saves. The tilt marked the fifth time this autumn she has stopped seven or more shots.
Albertus Magnus junior midfielder Danielle Polvan (East Haven, Conn.) fired a team-high two shots on goal, while Lavery and freshman forward Alexya Alves (Naugatuck, Conn.) each had one blast on target.
Emmanuel held a 24-8 advantage in shots and both teams took four corners apiece. The hard-fought, physical contest saw 28 fouls whistled and one card handed out.