Women's Soccer Season Ends in NEC Semifinals

The Central Connecticut women's soccer team ended its 2013 season with a 3-1 loss to top seed Saint Francis University on Friday afternoon in the Northeast Conference Tournament semifinals.  With the loss Central finishes the season with a 7-12 overall record. 

The Blue Devils entered the tournament at the #4 seed, after finishing in a three-way tie for second place in the NEC with 15 total points. 

Both teams had several scoring chances in the first half but it remained scoreless after the first 45 minutes.  Both the Blue Devils and the Red Flash recorded nine total shots.  Senior Nikola Deiter made five saves for the Blue Devils while the Red Flash keeper Abbey Collins made six before the break.

Deiter finished the match making a season-high 12 saves, including seven in the second half.  Collins had 11 in the win for the Red Flash.

The Red Flash broke through in the 81st minute when senior Tesa McKibben, the league's four-time Player of the Year, scored the game's first goal at 80:34 to give the home team the 1-0 lead.  They added a second goal less than three minutes later to push the lead to 2-0.

But the Blue Devils wouldn't go quietly, as junior Christina Boucher scored just 32 seconds later to cut the lead to 2-1 with just under six minutes to play in the game.

The Red Flash went up 3-1 on a goal from Brittany Hasson at 87:02 to push the lead to two and lead SFU to the win.

SFU held a 15-12 edge in shots on goal but Central had the overall advantage in shots, 24-17.  SFU however, had a 12-2 edge in corner kicks in the match.  Neither team earned a card.

The Blue Devils end the season with a 7-12 overall record.  The Red Flash advance to Sunday's championship game at 12 noon in Loretto.