No. 20 Women's Soccer Set for Tussle with Lowell in NE-10 Quarterfinals
NORTH ANDOVER, Mass.- The No. 20 Merrimack women's soccer team will host UMass Lowell in the quarterfinals of the Northeast-10 Conference playoffs October 31 at 1 p.m. The Warriors finished the 2010 regular season with a 12-4-2 overall record and an 11-3-1 mark in the league, good for second place. The seventh-place River Hawks posted an 8-8-1 record on the year and went 8-7-0 against Northeast-10 opponents.
When the two teams met in the regular season, Merrimack claimed a 2-1 victory on a Khara Roman (Orange, Conn.) free kick goal in overtime. The River Hawks jumped out to an early 1-0 lead by scoring just four minutes into the match. Jamie Alnwick (Groton, Mass.) netted the equalizer with less than 10 minutes remaining in regulation.
Merrimack and Lowell have a history of squaring off in the postseason. The Warriors eliminated the River Hawks on penalty kicks in the first round of the NCAA Tournament last season.
Head coach Gabe Mejail's squad played Adelphi at Warrior Field in the quarterfinals of the Northeast-10 Conference playoffs last year. Merrimack advanced past the Panthers on penalty kicks, 5-4.
Danielle Dion (North Grosvenordale, Conn.) leads the Warriors with seven goals and two assists for 16 points. Jessica Peacock (Hopedale, Mass.) anchors the Merrimack back line and ranks second on the squad with 11 points on four goals and three assists. Ten different players have contributed goals this season for the Warriors while 14 have registered a point.
Peacock was Merrimack's lone player on the All-Conference first team. Dion and Lindsey deMont (Littleton, Mass.) were each tabbed to the All-Conference second team with Dion earning a spot on the All-Rookie squad. Goalkeeper Kiley Horne (Scituate, Mass.) was named to the All-Conference third team.
Merrimack will be making its 26th consecutive appearance in the conference postseason when it takes the field on Sunday. The Warriors have reached the playoffs in every season that the Northeast-10 has offered postseason play.
In the other quarterfinal matches, No. 1 Saint Rose will put its undefeated record on the line against eighth-seeded New Haven at home. Franklin Pierce, who finished third in the conference, welcomes Adelphi who earned the sixth-seed. The fourth playoff game pits the No. 4 team in the league, American International, against Southern N.H., the fifth-seed in Springfield, Mass.
