Box Score

WORCESTER, Mass. -- Top-seeded Worcester State University needed an extra round of tries in the shootout to move on in the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Division III New England Women's Soccer Championship, taking the penalty kick portion, 5-4, over No. 8 University of New England, after the teams played to a 1-1 draw through two overtimes of a quarterfinal round match Wednesday evening at John Coughlin Stadium.

The Lancers (13-5-2) will now host the tournament's final four weekend, and are slated to face No. 4 UMass Boston (a 3-1 winner over No. 5 Endicott College) in one semifinal. Second-seeded Keene State College (a victor over No. 7 Norwich, 1-0) and No. 6 Saint Joseph College of Connecticut (a 2-1 winner at Salve Regina University) will square off in the other contest.

Big Blue concludes its season with an overall record of 12-2-4, and finished 2011 without a dropped road match (7-0-2) for just the second time in program history (7-0-0 in 1994).

Both squads converted their first three attempts of the shootout, as Nikki Scott, Sarina Lathrop, and Christina Vernaci made shots for Worcester State and Alice Read, Sarah Richardson, and Ellie Arsenault found the back of the net for UNE. The Lancers' Brianne Beckman put the hosts up 4-3 with the next one, and the ensuing shot from the Nor'easters sailed wide left.

However, after WSU fifth shot missed to the right, Emily Lodge stepped up and buried it to make the penalty kick tally 4-4 and force a sixth set of tries. Worcester State's Gaby Gonet made the shot that would prove to be the decider, as UNE's tying attempt caromed off the crossbar.

The Nor'easters had sent the match into overtime with an 89th-minute score by Read --her seventh goal of the season -- with assists to Arsenault and Nicole Faircloth.

After falling behind, 1-0, in the 31st minute when WSU's Beckman led Sarah Rafferty out to score on a breakaway, UNE nearly broke through on two occasions before leveling the match at the 88:38 mark. A post in the 41st minute of play and a defensive save with the goalie out of position in the 84th kept the visitors off the board until Read's tying marker.

Through 110 minutes of action, Lancers goalie Angiezaka Sychtysz stopped five of Big Blue's 15 total attempts at goal, while her counterpart, UNE's Jess Woodworth, made seven saves on 17 Worcester State shots.