CCSU Ends Season At Harvard In NCAA First Round

The Central Connecticut women's soccer team ended its season on Saturday, falling to Harvard 6-0 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament at Soldiers Field in Boston, Mass. The Northeast Conference champion Blue Devils end the 2014 season with an 11-6-4 overall record and 4-2-2 mark in NEC play. The Crimson (11-4-2) move on to play the defending national champions, UCLA, on Nov. 21 in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

Harvard wasted little time getting on the board as they found the back of the net just 22 seconds into the match. Dani Stollar scored her fourth goal of the season, unassisted, to give the Crimson a 1-0 advantage. Upon the opening kick the Crimson pushed the ball down the field and Stoler collected a loose ball just outside the 18-yard box. She faked a shot, made a move to the left and then fired a shot with her left foot into the top left corner of the net to beat sophomore keeper Nicki Turley.

Central settled into play and got their first scoring opportunity at the 14:21 mark. A corner kick from sophomore Kelly Halligan found the head of junior Claire Walsh and she directed the ball on target, but Harvard keeper, Lizzie Durack was there to make the stop.

The Crimson then made the lead 2-0 on the fourth goal of the season from Emily Mosbacher. Mosbacher drove up the left side, made a move back to the middle of the field and put a shot on net that slipped under the grasp of Turley and into the lower right corner of the net.

Harvard took a 3-0 lead heading into the break after Margaret Purce found the back of the net at the 38:53 mark. Her ninth goal of the year came when she dribbled across the field to the middle of the 18-yard box and shot back across her body with her left foot and into the lower right corner of the goal.

The Blue Devils were unable to really get anything going in the first half as they entered halftime trailing in shots (8-1), shots on goal (6-1) and corner kicks (3-1).

Harvard and Purce struck again following the intermission to add to the Crimson lead. Purce drove hard down the right side into the 18-yard box and shot the ball over the new CCSU goalkeeper, Rebecca Lewis, who entered the game just before the end of the first half.

Harvard pushed the lead to 5-0 on the second goal of the game from Mosbacher. She connected on a header off a Haley Washburn corner kick at the 53:16 mark.

The Blue Devils best chance to get on the board in the second half came 11:15 in. Senior Tori Sousa received a pass at the top of the Harvard 18-yard box and fired a shot that sailed just over the cross bar.

The Crimson added one more goal in the 66th minute. Mosbacher sent in a cross from the left side that found the foot of Laura Aguilar for her first goal of the season.

Central finished the match with five total shots, including three on goal. Sousa led the way with two shots. Harvard held a 15-5 advantage in shots and a slight 5-3 advantage in corner kicks.

Turley picked up the loss in net, splitting the game with Lewis, and finished the season with a 10-6-4 record. She made three saves in the match. Lewis recorded one save.

Central finished the season recording its best winning percentage (.619) since the 2005 season and sported a very impressive 7-1-3 mark at home this year.