BOSTON, Mass. – For the second time in the last three seasons and third time in program history, the Wentworth Institute of Technology women's soccer team has earned a spot in the Commonwealth Coast Conference championship game. The second-seeded Leopards, who will host the championship for the first time this coming Saturday (Nov. 5), punched their ticket with a 1-0 win over third-seeded Endicott in a semifinal match on Tuesday night.
With the win Wentworth improves to 14-3-3 and will host eighth seeded Gordon for the CCC championship and the right to go to the NCAA Division III Women's Soccer Tournament. The Gulls see their season end with a 13-4-2 record.
Endicott carried play in the opening moments of the contest and had a corner kick in the fourth minute. Freshman Larissa Cade (Middlefield, Conn.) sent the kick in towards the box, however the shot attempt by junior Paige Pratt (Topsfield, Mass.) went wide.
Play continued throughout the middle of the field when the Leopards gained possession and would score the lone goal of the contest. Senior midfielder Amanda Weinberger (Colchester, Conn.) brought the ball in and sent a pass to junior Ali Leach (Stowe, Vt.). Leach took a shot from the top right side of the box which went off junior keeper Caroline Armbruster's (Stowe, Vt.) hands and in.
Wentworth continued to mount pressure and carried play for the remainder of the opening half. The Leopards had a 9-5 shot advantage at the break, with five of the Leopard's nine shots going on target.
In the 74th minute, senior Michelle Murphy (West Islip, N.Y.) nearly gave the hosts a 2-0 lead when she fired a shot from 30 yards out in which Armbruster leaped and tipped the ball over the crossbar at the last second.
Endicott had a pair of shot attempts in the final 13 minutes of play, however neither were on target. The Gulls had possession with time winding down, however heads-up defense cleared the ball out of the Wentworth end and ran the clock down.
Sophomore Micaela Robinson (Goshen, N.Y.) made a pair of saves to record the shutout. Armbruster made five saves in the loss. Wentworth had a 12-8 shot advantage and a 5-2 advantage on corner kicks.