Nov. 4, 2006
BEVERLY, MA - The Gulls scored two first half goals to claim their fourth consecutive Commonwealth Coast Conference Championship, with a 2-1 win over Roger Williams Saturday afternoon.
Endicott set the tone early dominating the first half of play and out shooting the second seeded Hawks 9-3. Ashley Clark (West Newbury, MA/Pentucket) got the Gulls on the board first when she scored in the 34th minute, heading home a perfect cross from Margreta Weber (Bedford, NH/Manchester West).
Freshmen Caitlin Flynn (Mattituck, NY/Southold) scored the eventual game winner just two minutes later. Sarah Miller (Nashua, NH/Bishop Geurtin) redirected a pass from Clark to the front of the net that Flynn knocked away from RWU goalkeeper Jen Garside (Londonderry, NH/Londonderry) and into the net, giving EC a 2-0 advantage.
The Gulls continued to dictate the pace of the game for the remainder of the first half and most of the second half. The Hawks however would not go quietly as they came on strong in the late stages of the game.
Roger Williams got on the scoreboard in the 76th minute when conference Rookie of the Year Amanda DaCunha (Wethersfield, CT/Wethersfield) was tripped up in the box and awarded a penalty kick. DaCunha converted on the penalty kick as she placed the ball just inside the left post and out of the reach of sprawling EC goalie Tina Loguidice (Hyde Park, NY/F.D. Roosevelt).
The late goal gave the Hawks a momentum swing but they could not break through Endicott's back line, headed by Staci Wiencko (Pembroke, MA/Notre Dame Academy), Kellie Lajoie (York, ME/York) and Kelly Cosgrove (Sandwich, MA/Sandwich).
Endicott also got strong play from Caitlin D'Amario (East Longmeadow, MA/East Longmeadow) and Shannon Pilsbury (Montclair, NY/Montclair). The duo controlled the flow of the game in the middle of the field allowing Endicott to play its style and forcing Roger Williams to make adjustments.
Miller and Weber along with Kim Shields (Pomfret, CT/Woodstock Academy) and playoff hero Erica Hunt (Colchester, VT/Colchester) were also instrumental in the win.
Along with the championship game the 2006 CCC All-Conference teams were announced Saturday. The Gulls had four players named All-Conference as Paula McGinn (Lynn, MA/Lynn Classical) was named conference Player of the Year for the second straight year and garnered First Team honors. D'Amario, Weber and Wiencko were named Second Team All Conference selections, while Pilsbury also earned Honorable Mention All Conference honors.
Gulls second year head coach Jodi Kenyon was named the 2006 Commonwealth Coast Conference Coach of the Year after leading EC to an 18-3 overall record and a fourth straight CCC Title.
The conference championship gives Endicott an automatic bid into the NCAA tournament. The Gulls will begin first round play next weekend; opponents will be announced later in the week and fans are encouraged to check ecgulls.com for updates.
