BOX SCORE |
PHOTOS
Reading, Pa. (Nov. 10, 2010) - Junior forward
Rachel Gimber (Gilbertsville, Pa./Boyertown) set up a pair of second half goals in a three minute span and fourth seeded Alvernia University (13-5-4) held off a late surge from #5 Cabrini College (14-4-1) for a 2-1 victory Wednesday evening in quarterfinal action of the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) South Region Women's Soccer Championships at Schlager Memorial Field.
"We're designed to absorb pressure," said head coach
Bill Bonewitz after his team's first ever postseason victory. "We learn from facing the constant pressure of teams like Richard Stockton and Messiah."
Wednesday -- with the slimest one-goal margin -- the Crusader defense calmly turned away the Cavaliers' consistent pressure in the game's final minutes. The Cavs got off just a pair of shots in the final five minutes, but neither threated Alvernia keeper
Kirsten Kelley (Kirkwood, Pa./Bishop Shanahan) who finished with eight saves.
"They're on their own back there," admitted Bonewitz speaking of his defense. "They see how a team is attacking and make adjustments."
The back four for the Crusaders is two freshmen and two juniors. Upper classmen
Lindsey Neubauer (Merrick, N.Y./Sanford H. Calhoun) and
Kate Wimberg (Galloway, N.J./Sacred Heart) know the frustration of 29 losses over their first two seasons.
Katelyn Gill (State College, Pa./State College Area) and Katelin Hummel (Andreas, N.J./Tamaqua Area) -- a second team All-Commonwealth performer -- play like they've been doing this for years. The play of the four together, along with Kelley, the senior keeper with a school record nine shutouts this season, are a main reason the Crusaders have added four wins to the program's previous best.
The team calmly picked up its 13th win Wednesday night in its first ECAC appearance.
After some poking and proding by the two offenses in the first half Gimber set up junior
Amy Mesce (Pittstown, N.J./Delaware Valley Regional) for the first goal of the game, her team-leading 13th of the season. A thru ball from just inside the Cavaliers' half of the field sent Mesce in one-on-one against the Cabrini defender. After beating the defender, she had an option to pass of shoot and chose the left-footed strike over the charging keeper to open the scoring.
Three minutes later Gimber's cross in front of the net bounced right to freshman
Hillary Prozzillo (Swedesboro, N.J./Bishop Eustace Prep) who finished her second of the season for the 2-0 lead.
Cabrini cranked up the pressure over the next 10 minutes finally breaking through in the 66th minute when Kelley couldn't corral a rebound and Alex Tralie knocked home her seventh goal of the season.
With 25 minutes remaining the Crusaders turned the 2-1 lead over to the defense to protect. And that's exactly what they did.
Alvernia continues its record-setting season Saturday with a semifinal game at top-seeded Frostburg State at 7:00 p.m. Sixth-seeded Marywood University, a 1-0 overtime winner over #3 PSU-Behrend, will face #2 Grove City, a 5-1 winner over #7 Misericordia, in the other semifinal. The final will be played Sunday at Frostburg.
#4 Alvernia 2, #5 Cabrini 1
