BEVERLY, Mass. - The Endicott women's soccer team celebrated the careers of 10 seniors today in style, posting a dramatic 2-1 overtime victory over Eastern Connecticut State University. Sharlotte Pernice (West Springfield, Mass.) scored her fifth of the season to lift Endicott to 11-4-1 on the season while ECSU fell to 7-7-3.
Prior to the beginning of the match, the Gulls honored Caroline Armbruster (Stowe, Vt.), Marissa Carlson (Bristol, Conn.), Shelby Elwell (Litchfield, Conn.), Rachel Hanna (Chelmsford, Mass.), Kristin Hartlage (Niskayuna, N.Y.), Shannon Hickey (East Haddam, Conn.), Emilee Kemnitz (Southington, Conn.), Paige Pratt (Topsfield, Mass.), Brady Sezon (Easton, Conn.), and Alyssa Silk (Charlton, Mass.) for their contributions to the program over the past four years.
The two teams spent the majority of the first half locked in a defensive battle with much of the play being controlled in the midfield area. Neither team could find the back of the net in the opening 45 minutes as Elwell made two diving saves to keep the Warriors off the score sheet.
The Warriors got on the board first in the 48th minute when Anna Manser (Manchester, Conn.) scored her second of the season. Kaley Pratt (Milford, Mass.) was able to find Manser in a pileup deep in the Endicott box as Eastern Conn. was able to get out to a 1-0 lead.
Endicott countered quickly, capitalizing just 2:36 later when Hanna scored her team-leading 14th of the season at the 49:47 mark of the second half. Following a Pratt free kick into the box that Catherine Elkas (Holden, Mass.) headed towards goal, Eastern Conn. keeper Sarah Fahey (Auburn, Mass.) made a diving stop. Hanna pounced on the rebound, one-timing her shot past Fahey who could not recover in time to make it 1-1.
The two teams would battle until Pernice buried her shot with just 1:25 remaining in the first overtime. Hanna was able to head a ball into the box that Pernice then blasted past the keeper off the bounce, securing the Endicott victory on Senior Day.
BEYOND THE BOX
- Endicott improved to 2-0-1 all-time against Eastern Connecticut, and 3-1-1 in overtime matches this season.
- Hanna now has 35 (14 G, 7A) points on the season, leading all Commonwealth Coast Conference players.
- Getting the win in net was Kristin Hartlage as she made one save to improve her record to 1-1 on the year.
FOR THE FOES
- Eastern Connecticut was led by Maggie Bodington (Stratford, Conn.) with four shots, while McKenzie Reimondo (Portland, Conn.) finished with two shots, both of which were on goal.
- The Warriors out-shot the Gulls 15-7 in the match, but just 4-3 in shots on goal.
WHAT'S NEXT
The Endicott women's soccer team travels to Salve Regina on Wednesday to end their regular season, while the Warriors host Southern Maine on Saturday to close out their regular season.
