Nov. 16, 2008
BEVERLY, Mass. - The Endicott College women's soccer team lost to William Smith College who won a penalty kick shootout 4-3 to advance to the third round of the NCAA Division III Women's Soccer Tournament. The two teams were tied 1-1 at the end of 110 minutes of action, leaving the Herons 14-1-5 on the season, while the Gulls end the year with a 16-3-3 mark.
William Smith controlled the tempo of the match, outshooting Endicott 24-10 and holding an 8-1 advantage on penalty kicks. The Herons opened the scoring in the 15th minute when Rayza Santiago (Webster, N.Y.) ripped a shot from seven yards out for her third goal of the season. Kaitlyn Tyson (San Jose, Calif.) earned the assist, sending a cross from the right side to a wide open Santiago in the middle.
Gulls' goalie Amy Meuse kept William Smith from padding its lead, making six of her nine saves in the first half.
Endicott scored the equalizer in the 53rd minute when Kayla Corbett (Danvers, Mass.) found Allyson Bellemore (Manchester, N.H.) for a well-struck volley from the top of the penalty area to beat the diving save attempt of goalie Amanda Davis (Sucasunna, N.Y.).
Both teams had quality scoring chances in regulation but neither team could score the go-ahead goal as the game would spill into overtime. Both goalies recorded solitary saves in the first overtime and none in the second.
In the shootout, Endicott shot first, missing on its first and third attempts. Santiago and Mary Jameson (Maplewood, N.J.) converted William Smith's first two chances, but then Meuse willed her team back into contention. She guessed correctly on each of the Herons' next two attempts, while Victoria Hunt (Cumberland, R.I.) scored in the fourth round to even the shootout, 2-2. Both teams scored in the fifth round to send the shootout into sudden death.
In the sixth round, it was Davis' turn to guess correctly, making a diving stop on a low shot to her left. Chelsea England (Apalachin, N.Y.) then buried a shot in the lower left corner to send the Herons on to the next round.
Endicott closes out the year with 16-3-3 record that included their sixth consecutive NCAA Tournament bid. This season, the Gulls were able to outscore their opponents 56-16 and recorded 13 shutouts in 22 games.
William Smith will face the winner of the Virginia Wesleyan at Johns Hopkins match. The teams will meet on November 22nd at a site and time to be determined.
