No. 4 Maine-Farmington Advances to NAC Tournament Championship Game
NO. 4 MAINE-FARMINGTON ADVANCES
TO
NAC TOURNAMENT CHAMPIONSHIP GAME
CHICOPEE, MA, Nov. 1, 2006 - Junior goalkeeper Alix Raymond (West Hartford, CT) stopped five shots and senior defender Susan Murray (Salem, NH) netted the game-winning goal in the sixth round of penalty kicks to lift No. 4 University of Maine-Farmington to a 4-3 win over No. 1 Elms College in Wednesday's North Atlantic Conference (NAC) Tournament women's soccer semifinal at Leary Field.
Following a scoreless regulation and two 10-minute sudden victory overtimes, the two teams exchanged three goals apiece in the first five rounds of penalty kicks before Murray, who had not appeared in the game until that moment, converted in the sixth round to advance the Beavers into Saturday's NAC Tournament championship game.
"I started to cry I was so nervous before my turn to kick," Murray said. "Our captain Erin (Campbell) calmed me down and I was able to score. It was definitely nerve-wracking."
"This was just a great college soccer game," Maine-Farmington 11th-year head coach Bob Leib said. "I told our players they had better be ready for penalty kicks because I really felt that was what this game was going to come down to."
Maine-Farmington (13-6-1), which had lost to Elms College 3-0 in the regular season meeting between the two teams back on October 15, will now play at No. 2 Husson College in Saturday's NAC Tournament title game.
Husson advanced with a 5-0 shutout victory over No. 3 Mount Ida College in Wednesday's other semifinal.
The winner of Saturday's title game receives the NAC's automatic qualifier into the upcoming NCAA Division III Championship.
Elms College, which was trying to advance to the NAC Tournament championship game for the first time since winning its lone conference title in 1999, finished 14-6-1 overall.
Elms College third-year head coach Ryan Kelly was quick to note the legacy left behind by the program's five graduating seniors, defender Tina Lempke (Holyoke, MA), forward Jen LeDoux (Easthampton, MA), midfielder Sarah Casagrande (Easthampton, MA), forward Chelsea Rose (Belchertown, MA) and defender Jill Jacobs (Douglas, MA).
"Our five graduating seniors were great leaders for us this season and have laid the foundation for what this program has become," Kelly said.
Elms College sophomore goalkeeper Shannon Donnelly (Florence, MA) finished with six stops and also scored the Blazers' third penalty kick to advance the shootout to a sixth round.