Women's Soccer Edged by Westfield State on Penalty Kicks in MASCAC Semifinals

WESTFIELD, Mass. -- #2 seed Westfield State University advanced to the Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) women's soccer championship game on penalty kicks after forging a 1-1 tie with third-seeded Bridgewater State University in the semifinal round of the 2017 MASCAC Tournament on Friday afternoon at Alumni Field.

Westfield State freshman Morgan Remington (Enfield, Conn.) scored the decisive penalty kick with a blast to the lower right corner of the net, after the teams had matched five-for-five on penalty kicks in the first series.

Westfield State junior goalkeeper Natalia Falcone (Sutton, Mass.) came up with a huge save on BSU senior midfielder Nicole Simas'  (Dartmouth, Mass.) penalty kick try to start the second series for Bridgewater.

The two teams have met in the league semifinals in each of the last three years, with Westfield advancing in 2015, and Bridgewater advancing in 2016, with all three of the shootout semifinal games played at Westfield.

The game is recorded as a tie for NCAA purposes, while the Owls advance to the MASCAC title game which will be played on Sunday against the winner of tonight's #1 Worcester State vs. #4 Salem State semifinal.  The championship game will be played at the site of the highest remaining seed.

Westfield State is now 10-5-3 on the season.  Bridgewater State ends the season with an overall record of 12-6-1.

Westfield took a 1-0 lead in the first period as sophomore forward Bella Eduardo (Springfield, Mass.) took a pass from senior midfielder Kenzie Saltmarsh (Westfield, Mass.) and split a pair of BSU defenders before depositing a shot into the right side of the net in the 38th minute.

Bridgewater finally got the equalizing goal in the 85th minute of play, as sophomore midfielder Emma Sanders (Seekonk, Mass.) fired a strong cross from the deep right corner into the box, where sophomore forward Amelia Burke (Plymouth, Mass.) put a foot on it and lifted the ball inside the far post to tie the score at 1-1.

Both teams had chances in the overtimes, with Bridgewater state getting a corner with 1:50 left in the first OT, that ended with Falcone saving junior midfielder Kellsie Mitchell's (Bristol, R.I.) shot.   Eduardo had a prime shot at the end of the second OT that BSU senior netminder Lauren DeSousa (Taunton, Mass.) turned aside.

DeSousa and Falcone each finished with nine saves. Westfield held a 23-13 advantage in total shots, and a 7-5 margin in corner kicks.

DeSousa ends her three-year career in a BSU uniform as the Bears' all-time leader in goals against average (0.89) and shutouts (24). She is also second all-time in wins (29) and third in both games played (56) and minutes played (5135:43).