(Courtesy of UNE Sports Information)
BIDDEFORD, Maine -- Freshman forward Stephanie Crockett (Bedford, Mass.) broke a 1-1 tie in the 85th minute to give seventh-seeded Wentworth Institute of Technology a 2-1 upset victory over second-seeded University of New England in a The Commonwealth Coast Conference Championship quarterfinal round game Saturday afternoon.
Crockett collected a long, lofted pass from senior Madison Watson (Overland Park, Kan.) and out-raced the UNE defenders before slipping it by the goalie for the game-winner, her fourth game-winning tally in a row and school-record seventh of the season.
Freshman Karina Scavo (Mt. Sinai, N.Y.) twice found the right post on shots earlier in the second half that would have given the hosts a lead. In the 57th minute she caught the outside of the post with a shot, and 14 minutes later put a drive on goal that the goalkeeper just barely pushed to the near post and out.
Scavo leveled the match in the 43rd minute, hitting a one-timer off a cross into the box from sophomore Alice Read (Auburn, Maine) that went in just beneath the crossbar.
Junior Sarah Norkiewicz (Dracut, Mass.) put the Leopards in front at the 33:54 mark, turning on a thrown-in by classmate Jess Kruger (Belmont, Mass.) and ripping a shot up over the keeper. Both players had entered the game just 31 seconds earlier.
The Nor'easters controlled play throughout, finishing with large advantages in shots (21-7) and corners (6-1), but sophomore Katherine Matthews (Northborough, Mass.) came up with nine big saves to earn the win.
UNE (14-3), which received three saves from senior Leigh Engel (Richmondville, N.Y.), will await word on a possible ECAC Championship berth to see if its season continues.
Wentworth (9-10) advances into TCCC semifinals for the first time since 2005, where it will travel to sixth-seeded Western New England. The Golden Bears, which won the regular-season matchup 2-1, tied third-seeded Roger Williams, 2-all, but advanced by way of penalty kicks.
