Blue Devils Win Late on Senior Day, Clinch Home Field for Postseason

Women's soccer won its final match of the regular season Jamie Collimore, one of the Blue Devils' eight seniors honored before Sunday's match, scored the game winning goal in the final two minutes of regulation. The win clinched homefield advantage for CCSU in the Northeast Conference Championship.

Senior Erica Bardes made CCSU history with her 83rd appearance for the Blue Devils, a program record.

GAME INFORMATION

FINAL SCORE CCSU 2 LIU 1

RECORDS CCSU (11-5-0, 8-2 NEC) LIU (2-11-1, 2-7-1 NEC)

KEY MOMENTS

• CCSU had a number of chances in the first half to get on the board. The team managed five corner kicks in the first half and attempted nine shots to LIU's three. Brady sent one last header in as time expired in the first that went just high.
• The Blue Devils were pressuring to score early in the second half, and had some good oppurtunities to get on the board. Kelly Brady sent a ball off the post early in the period.
• The Blue Devils intercepted a goalie ball 12 minutes into the second half, which  Erin Sutter collected and sent along to Roma McLaughlin. McLaughlin took ball from roughly midfield to just outside the box. The senior sent a rocket just over the extended hands of LIU's keeper, breaking the 0-0 stalemate.
• McLaughlin nearly scored a second less than a minute later. The midfielder had a shot lined up from Aoife Horgan right down the middle of the goal. McLaughlin sent one in high again, but LIU's keeper timed this shot better and was able to deflect the shot.
• After the Blue Devils had controlled the ball for most of the second, LIU was able to get some shots off inside of CCSU's zone. The Sharks were able to steal away the ball in the Blue Devils zone and sent a shot that got deflected away from McQuillan after she made the save. The ball went straight to a crashing Shark and was sent past McQuillan for an unassisted goal.
• The Blue Devils battled for possession of the ball as the clock quickly drained down. With two minutes left in the match before a potential overtime, the Blue Devils passed the ball from middle to left a few times before setting up the play they wanted. McLaughlin sent a ball to Bardes, Bardes took it all the way down to the bottom boundary line, sent a cross to Giavanna Inzerillo who sent a pop pass to Collimore who scored the heroic final goal.

NOTES

• CCSU's eight seniors were honored before Sunday's match. Amanda McQuillan, Roma McLaughlin, Zoë McGlynn, Jamie Collimore, Delaney Lawler, Abbey Chase, Taylor Smith and Rosa Arini were brought out to midfield prior to kickoff to be recognized for their contributions to the program. The eight of them were all on all three of the previous Northeast Conference Championship teams.
• McLaughlin's goal gives her seven this year along with 16 points, both of which lead the team.
• The Blue Devils have been on top of the NEC as a team on both sides of the ball. The team is allowing less than a goal per game on average (.875 per game) which leads the NEC and has scored 25 goals this season which also leads the conference.
• Collimore's goal was her first of the season, which makes her the 13th different Blue Devil to score a goal this year.

UP NEXT...

The Blue Devils will be hosting the fourth seed in the NEC standings, Bryant at 1 p.m. on Friday. The other two teams facing off on Friday will be Sacred Heart and Fairleigh Dickinson.