Northeast-10 Tourney Title on the Line as #14 Women's Soccer Visits #15 Saint Rose Sunday
Dion Interview during 2nd Intermission of 11/4 MC Hockey Game
Coming off of a thrilling 2-1 overtime win in the semifinals, the #14 Merrimack women's soccer team looks to capture its sixth Northeast-10 Conference Tournament crown as it travels to battle #15 Saint Rose Sunday afternoon.
The Warriors head into the match with a 16-2-1 overall record as the second-seeded team in the tournament. The Golden Knights are sporting an 18-1-1 mark this season and earned the tournament's top seed after claiming their third-straight Northeast-10 regular season title.
This marks the first Northeast-10 Conference Tournament final appearance for Merrimack since 2003. The Warriors last Northeast-10 Conference Tournament championship came in 1999 with a 1-0 victory over Assumption. Saint Rose is seeking its fifth-consecutive tournament title.
Merrimack reached the top-two showdown with victories over Southern NH and Pace.
The Warriors edged the Penmen 2-1 in overtime in the semifinals November 4. After falling behind 1-0 early in the second half, Merrimack tallied the equalizer in the 78th minute as Laura Spang (Wakefield, MA) netted her first collegiate goal. In the extra session, Spang set up Danielle Dion (North Grosvenordale, CT) for the game winner. The assist was Spang's firt career helper while Dion notched her seventh marker of the year.
In the quarterfinal round, the Warriors blanked the Setters 2-0. Jenna Zechner (Billerica, MA) opened the scoring in the second half with her team-leading eighth of the season. With less than 10 minutes remaining in the contest, Sarah Wooley (Duxbury, MA) headed home her first career goal.
Merrimack boasts five Northeast-10 All-Conference selections, headlined by Jessica Peacock (Hopedale, MA) who was tabbed the Defensive Player of the Year. Peacock and Dion both earned All-Conference first team honors while Kiley Horne (Scituate, MA) and Sarah Coakley (Medway, MA) were named to the third team. Katie Bresciani (Hopedale, MA) and Coakley were each All-Rookie picks this fall.
Earlier this season, the Warriors handed the Golden Knights their first and only loss of the season and first conference defeat in three years. Dion buried two goals in an 18-second span in the first half for Merrimack. Peacock hammered in a laser from outside the penalty box to extend the Warriors' lead to 3-0.
Sunday's Northeast-10 Tournament championship tilt holds NCAA Tournament implications. The two teams are both vying for the East Region's second seed. Merrimack occupied the No. 2 slot in this week's regional rankings while Saint Rose held the third spot. A top-two seeding in the NCAA Tournament East Region bracket would ensure a first-round bye and home-field advantage in the second round.
